Q: Are there any big red flags someone should look out for if they're online dating as far as if somebody's trustworthy, whether they may be married, etcetera?

A: Both consciously and unconsciously, people use the Internet as a way of exaggerating their strengths and sometimes hiding their weaknesses. People definitely use the Internet unethically and dishonestly.

Men will say that they're interested in a relationship and that they're free and available when they are using it as a way to try and procure sex or just physical interactions. It's impossible to be a lie detector online and it's even worse to be a complete cynic and assume that somebody is lying.

Again, I would say get to know somebody online, learn about them, but take it to the phone because once you start talking to somebody you get another sense of them and you pick up other aspects of their personality. If you feel good about that, that's when you're going to want to take it to an in-person meeting.

There are times when people just go back and forth online for weeks at a time, developing complete romances in their own minds where they've never had a conversation with the person or even met the person. You want to use the Internet as a vetting process.

You still need to meet the person, see if they have qualities you like, you absolutely want to take the time to just have a free-formed unstructured conversation, listen a lot, don't write down all of your points, just relax, take a deep breathe and be yourself. If all sounds good, make a date to have some coffee or something.