Do Not Give Out Personal Information
At first, since your contact is anonymous by email or group, you need not give your full name, telephone number etc. to the other individual. Only after you feel comfortable should you exchange personal information.

Meet in a Public Place
Until you feel comfortable with someone, you should meet in a public place, where you feel safe.

Meet in a Group or Bring a Friend
If you decide to set up a personal meeting, it may be fun to go out in a group or to bring a friend along. This will make you feel more at ease.

Set Up Free Email For Internet Friends
There are so many great free email systems out on the web, you should use it to your advantage. This is especially advisable for people accessing the internet from work. There are free pop accounts, too, and many of them may be accessed by web-to-mail programs as well as your normal email program.

Ask For Personal References
If it will make you feel more comfortable, ask for a personal reference or two.

Do Not Buy Anything or Lend Money
Scam artists appear everywhere. Don't let anyone scam you for money.

When You Give a Phone Number, Give Your Work (or Cell) Number
If you have some personal space in your office to talk on the phone, it may be best to give out that phone number first, should you decide to exchange numbers.

Exchange Photos Via Email or Regular Mail
If you want to be sure that the other person is telling the truth about their looks, ask for a picture. but realize that photos are not really proof of anything.  How do you know it's really them? 

Video Conference
Know who you're talking to.  A web cam in not that expensive and there are many video conference services, including yahoo IM.  A video picture can be worth a thousand words.  Now, you can know if a picture from them is really them or not.

Make Your Own Decision On Personal Meetings
Only you can decide whether you feel a personal meeting is worthwhile; listen to your own instincts.

Tips for meeting people in person for the first time.

•  Always tell someone where you are going to meet your online friends.  Better still, bring someone along with you.
•  Always meet in a public place you are familiar with for your first get together.
•  Trust your instincts.  Do you really 'know' someone you've met online?  It's easy for people to lie online.  I knew someone who perpetuated a lie for over a year online.  After a while things just simply didn't add up.  If something 'feels' wrong then don't do it.
•  Don't have your expectations set too high.  Remember chat brings together people who sometimes wouldn't ordinarily meet in the real world.  Just because you frequent the same chat room or discussion board doesn't necessarily mean you have enough in common with each other to be friends in the real world.
•  Sometimes face to face just doesn't work out.  If you don't feel comfortable in a situation be prepared to leave.  Have your own transportation with you so you can make a quick exit.
•  Bring a cell phone or pager along with you.  You might even want to have a friend call you at a certain time to make sure you're okay, or so that you have an excuse to leave gracefully.
• There is a ringer test on a lot of phones.  If things get uncomfortable, use it to fake a call that requires your presence elsewhere.
  
•  Be on your guard.  If you get any uncomfortable feeling about the person you're meeting, don't be afraid to leave.  (Remember it's better to be safe than to be polite.) 
  
• If things become unsafe for you at any point, do whatever you have to do to get yourself away from there.
• Do not get into a vehicle alone with anyone on a first meeting.  Since you have your own transportation, if you want to go to someother public place, it makes sense to follow them.  That way, when you are ready to leave, you can just get up and go.
  

Date rape drugs which are slipped into an unsuspecting person's drink have become a major issue - especially on the west coast.  Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you are going to be drinking:

•      Don't leave your drink unattended.  If you do, then get rid of it.
•      If you accept drinks from someone else, watch them being poured, and take them yourself.
•      Don't share your drinks or drink from a container that is being passed around.
•      Don't drink out of punch bowls.
•      Order bottled drinks.  They're harder to spike and easier to guard.
•      Remember that alcohol is the most common factor in sexual assaults.