From eHarmony.com, Match.com, christianmingle.com, and ourtime.com, the possibility of meeting new people online is endless.  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many people might feel the pangs of loneliness and reach out online.  Are virtual relationships realistic or even safe?

The most recent example of online dating gone wrong is the catastrophe involving Manti Te’o. For years, the Notre Dame player held a fake relationship with a girl named Lennay Kekua. According to Manti Te’o, Kekua died of leukemia in September 2012 but on January 17, a story by the sports site, Deadspin, stated that Manti Te’o’s girlfriend never existed.

Manti Te’o is not the only person who has been tricked into believing someone is not who they really are. In fact, the occurrence of this is so common that there is a TV show called Catfish, where the creators of the show help men and women meet up with their online love interests. Often times, the people on the TV show are far from who they say they are online.

With the recent explosion of online dating, users have to be very careful…  True love can only be found with real people.