Online date robbed of prescription medication. How can you protect yourself?
Police are offering dating safety tips after a Norfolk resident reported a theft in their home when a date went wrong.
Ontario Provincial Police were called on June 22, just after noon, to a Norfolk County home after the resident was robbed.
Police say the individual had met a person through an online dating website and the pair had spent the day together.
Once they returned to the resident's home, a quantity of prescription medication was taken and the date immediately left, police said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122.
To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave an online message at helpsolvecrime.com.
The OPP has safety tips when it comes to off-line dating safety:
- Get to know the other person before meeting them off-line;
- Meet for the first time in a populated, public location - never in a private or remote location, and never at your date's home or apartment;
- Do not to go back to your date's home or bring them back to yours on the first date. If your date pressures you, end the date and leave at once;
- Inform a friend or family member of your plans and when and where you're going. If you own a mobile phone, make sure you have it with you;
- Keep a clear mind and avoid doing anything that would impair your judgment;
- Provide your own transportation to and from the first meeting;
- Keep personal items with you at all times;
- Long-distance meetings pose special safety concerns to take into account. Stay in a hotel and keep your hotel location confidential.
Jennifer Moore is an editorial assistant at The Spectator in Hamilton. Reach her via email: jmoore@thespec.com