#Open does not conduct routine criminal background checks on users. Remember, online profiles can be falsified. Use common sense and take reasonable precautions in all interactions with other users. Consider the following online safety tips:
● Anyone who can commit identity theft can also falsify an online profile.
● There is no substitute for acting with caution when communicating with any stranger who wants to interact with you.
● Never include your last name, email address, home address, phone number, place of work, or any other identifying information in initial communications with other users. Stop communications with anyone who pressures you for personal or financial information or tries in any way to trick you into revealing it.
● If you choose to have a face-to-face meeting with another user who you met on #open, tell a family member or friend where you will be meeting and when you will return. You should not agree to be picked up at your home. Always provide your own transportation and meet in a public place with many people around.
