1. PORTFOLIO: The Dangers Created by Online Dating
IT involved:
- Social networking sites
- Chat rooms, blogs, message boards,
- Software tools/applications: such as a tool installed in chat room which allows the
computer to ‘talk for itself’ by responding according to what the other uses is
typing without the need of having another person actually read and write! - - - >
Relate to artificial intelligence
- Encryption (security issues)
- Reliability issues: not being able to truly identify or verify that the person was real
Issues:
1. Attackers download a software tool that could simulate flirtatious conversations with
the users they were chatting with in order to create a ‘new romance’ with the main
purpose that other users would then reveal personal information that could be later used
for identity theft, scamming, spam or stalking. The problem was that users were fooled
into thinking that they were talking/chatting with real people when actually they were
chatting with a computer, so it became a new way for hackers to attack people who used
online dating sites.
2. People were deceived by chat room ‘flirting’ – they preferred to talk via chat rooms
only rather than use web cams etc. because some preferred to hide their identity – this
made them more vulnerable towards being attacked by hackers who used these tool.
3. Scammers could firstly create a fake profile and then maintain as many chats as they
wanted with other users by simply using this tool to simulate the conversation – it made it
easer for scammers to get personal information from other to use in their own benefit
such as identity theft, so more users were scammed!
4. Users that developed a romance, relationship or friendship with virtual/fake people
were also psychologically affected – they hoped to find life partners but instead found
themselves in monetary/financial problems
Other issues:
- Chat rooms + social networking sites no longer safe for users
- Users should learn or get used to better browsing skills: NEVER reveal personal
information on websites
- Personal information such as: bank account numbers, phone numbers, credit card
numbers, passwords etc. were revealed – lead to bank robberies by identity theft,
spam and viruses sent to people’s emails to hack their computers and steal all
their information – people who accesses these sites at work were in potential
danger of revealing the company’s information!
- Monetary/financial problems

2. Resources:
The Problems of Online Dating: http://www.googobits.com/articles/p2-643-the-ins-and-
outs-of-internet-dating.html
At the same time, online dating does have its share of problems. Just as you can make
yourself look as good as possible, others can do the same. While chatting online, it is next
to impossible to get an accurate idea of what a person is like. The people you talk to may
even be lying about themselves, and the pictures they post could actually be of someone
else. Until you meet someone in person, you do not really know much about them. Even
if you are not actually lied to, it is still easy to imagine that someone is perfect based on
their carefully prepared online postings, but then be disappointed when you meet the real
person.
Some lies and misrepresentations may be more dangerous in nature. Con artists, thieves,
and even sexual predators can pose as nice, average people online in order to meet new
victims. Because the people they chat to might develop a false sense of trust and security,
they can be especially vulnerable. To avoid these dangers, online daters should remember
that the people they are chatting to are strangers. While dating online, you should never
give out personal information, such as phone numbers, addresses, and schedules. You
should avoid any one who comes off as creepy or pushy; trust your instinct. If you want
to meet in person, pick a neutral, public location.