1. Get to know him as much as possible before agreeing to a meeting in person. Call him and chat with him for some time before agreeing to meet him.

2. Do not rely on sending each other text messages or emails. You can get a better read on guys when you talk to them on the phone. If they are confident in themselves you can hear it from the way they talk to you.

3. Make sure you get a few pictures of him. Don't just settle for one picture of him because he may have copied it from one of those websites that sell all kinds of pictures. If he only sends you one picture of himself , then it is entirely possible that the picture he sent you is not his.

4. Ask him for his full name -- first name and last name. Some people go by pseudonyms online, but you should get his first and last name before you meet him. If you really want to do your homework before you get too involved, you can Google websites that can provide you with public records of him. This way you can find out if the guy you are falling for is a criminal.

5. If he lives within driving distance of where you live, go to where he said he works and ask for him. You don't have to hang around to see him if you don't want to. You are only doing this to make sure he his honest about actually working where he says he works.

6. Find out where he lives and do a drive-by to see if he actually lives there and if he has a significant other or kids.

7. When you finally agree to meet him, make sure you meet in a public place, a cafe, mall, or shopping center. Try to get there before he does so that you have the opportunity to scope him out and see if you want to even continue with meeting him. Whatever you do, do not get into his car or go to his house at this point in your dating. Even if you meet at one place and decide to go to a second venue to continue your date, always drive in your own car. And when it is time for you to go home, drive to a shopping mall and do some window-shopping for a while. Never drive back to your house after your date. This way you avoid stalkers.

8. Before meeting, make sure you tell your friends and family members where you are going and who you are meeting. Better yet, send a picture of the guy you are meeting to your best friend or a family member. This way, if something happens, at least people will know who to look for.

9. Make arrangements with a friend or two to call you at certain time intervals. If the date is going well let your friends know by going to the ladies room and calling them. If you are having a terrible time, simply tell him that a friend has an emergency and that you must leave.

10. Before you even go out to meet him, be sure to prepare an exit strategy when the date starts going downhill. If he turns out to be a complete jerk, you can excuse yourself to go to the restroom, and leave from there. You are better off safe that try to be courteous and end up getting hurt.