Online Dating Safety Guide

Before you meet: vetting a match

A few minutes of vetting filters out most problems. Video-chat first — it confirms the person matches their photos and that there is real conversational chemistry. Do a quick name and image search (a reverse-image search catches stolen photos). Notice whether their story holds together across conversations. And keep early chats inside the app for as long as is comfortable — a fast push to move to text or WhatsApp is a common scammer move to escape the platform's safety tools.

Meeting in person safely

• →Meet in a busy public place — a cafe or bar, never their home or yours.
• →Arrange your own transport there and back so you are never dependent on them to leave.
• →Tell a friend who you are meeting, where, and when you will check in. Share your live location with that friend, not your date.
• →Keep your drink with you and stay sober enough to make clear decisions.
• →Set a soft time limit so a so-so date has a built-in, graceful exit.

Spotting romance scams

Romance scams are among the costliest consumer frauds in the US, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The pattern is consistent — watch for:

• ⚑Declares strong feelings unusually fast, before you have ever met.
• ⚑Always has a reason they cannot video chat or meet (overseas, military, offshore, traveling for work).
• ⚑A model-perfect profile with very few photos, or photos that fail a reverse-image search.
• ⚑Eventually asks for money, gift cards, or pitches a crypto "opportunity."

The non-negotiable rule: never send money or financial details to someone you have not met in person, no matter how compelling the story.

What to do if you are being scammed

If something feels off, you have done nothing wrong by being trusting — these schemes are engineered to fool good people. Act calmly: stop sending money and sharing details, report and block the profile in the app, and keep screenshots. If money changed hands, contact your bank right away, then report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Reporting helps investigators and is sometimes a step toward recovering funds.

Protecting your privacy

Share gradually. Keep your home address, workplace specifics, daily routine and financial details private until trust is genuinely earned. Be mindful of photos that reveal where you live or work (street signs, building numbers, work badges). Consider a separate photo set for dating that you do not use elsewhere, since reverse-image search can link profiles to your other accounts. On apps that show distance or location, keep it approximate.

Intimate images and sextortion

Sextortion — coaxing someone into sending explicit images, then threatening to release them unless paid — is rising, and it targets people of every age and gender. The protection is simple: do not send intimate images to anyone you have not met and verified. If you are being threatened, do not pay (it rarely stops) and do not panic. Stop responding, save the evidence, report it to the platform and to the FBI at ic3.gov. If you are under 18 or the images are of a minor, report to the NCMEC CyberTipline. You are the victim here — reaching out for help is the right move, and support is available.

Trust your gut — and give yourself permission to leave

No checklist replaces your instincts. If a conversation makes you uncomfortable, if someone pressures you, or if a date feels wrong, you owe no one an explanation. Leave. A good match respects your boundaries and your pace; pressure of any kind is itself the red flag. Limitations apply too: this guide reduces risk, it cannot eliminate it — use these habits every time, not just with strangers who "seem" risky.

Dating safety — FAQ