Safety & Security

RetiredRoommates.com offers a fun and secure environment to meet other Retired Roommates. Whether you decide to correspond online or meet members offline, please use sound judgment and be responsible for your conduct. In both the virtual and real worlds, common sense is your best safety tool.

Take your time. Get to know the person over the Internet before you meet them personally. Keep the old emails to compare with recent emails to check for inconsistencies.

Guard your anonymity. All correspondence between RetiredRoommates members takes place through our double-blind system, ensuring your true identity is protected until you decide to reveal it. Never include your last name, email address, home address, phone number, place of work or any other identifying information in your free profile or initial messages. When corresponding with another RetiredRoommates member, turn off your email signature file. Stop communicating with anyone who pressures you for personal information or attempts to trick you into revealing it.

Don’t believe everything you read online. People can pretend to be whatever and whomever they like. Ask a lot of questions. This will help you detect untruthful people and will help you find out if you’re compatible. If you suspect someone is lying, they probably are, so trust your instincts.

Start with a phone call. A phone call can reveal much about a person’s communication and social skills. Do not give out your personal phone number to a stranger. Use a cell phone or use local telephone blocking techniques to prevent your phone number from appearing on caller ID. Only give out your phone number when you are completely comfortable.

Request a photo. A picture will give you a gut feeling about a person. If a person refuses to furnish a picture, consider they may have something to hide.

Meet only when you are ready. The best part of meeting online is that you can collect information gradually, choosing at any time to pursue the relationship offline. You are never obligated to meet anyone. You always have the right to change your mind. It is possible that your decision to keep the relationship anonymous is based on a hunch that you can’t logically explain. Trust your intuition. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

Watch for red flags. Seriously consider terminating any relationship if the member displays anger, intense frustration, disrespectful comments or acts in a passive-aggressive manner. Providing inconsistent information about age, interests, appearance, marital status, profession, refusing to speak to you on the phone, appearing significantly different in person from his or her online personality, are all red flags and should signal you to terminate the relationship.

Meet in a public place, never at your home. Provide your own transportation and leave on your own. If you are flying in from another city, arrange for your own car and hotel room. Do not disclose the name of your hotel and never allow someone to make arrangements for you. Rent a car at the airport and drive directly to your hotel. Call the person you’re meeting from the hotel or meet at an already agreed upon location. If the location seems inappropriate or unsafe, go back to your hotel. The meeting place should be a restaurant or coffee shop at a time when a lot of other people are present. Always make sure a friend or family member knows your plans and has your contact information. Carry a cell phone at all times.

Never do anything you feel unsure about. If you are in any way afraid or apprehensive, use your best judgment to diffuse the situation and get away. Excuse yourself long enough to ask someone for help or slip out the back door and drive away. If you feel you are in danger, never feel embarrassed about calling the police. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Also, report any problems to the RetiredRoommates site administrator immediately at support@retiredroommates.com.

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