Looking for love online? Be careful what you wish for

Ever have a bad first date with someone you met online? Your story couldn't possibly top that of Des Gregor, a 56 year old Australian farmer who took a chance on love and went to Mali to meet a potential bride. Sure, you've been forced to go to a bad movie, or wasted a few hours with someone who turned out to be nothing like described; Des found himself kidnapped and held hostage with a machete. Beat that for a bad date.

Gregor, safely back in Australia now, is pleading for people to stay safe when meeting potential partners online. "You see this in a movie, you read about it in a book. It happens to someone else, not you. But it does", said Des' brother, who described his sibling as "love blind".

Granted, it takes a certain amount of gullibility to hop a plane to Mali with the belief that you're not only meeting your new bride, but also collecting a dowry of $100,000 in gold bars. Still, the message remains the same. When you're meeting someone new, play it safe. Match.com offers a set of tips on how to approach online dating safely, and it's worth a read if you're contemplating something new.

Tags: online dating, OnlineDating, security, weird internet things, WeirdInternetThings