Protecting Your Personal Information
Keep your home address, exact workplace, daily route, identity documents, and account credentials private. Check photos for visible addresses, license plates, or other details that reveal more than intended.
Avoiding Financial Scams
Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, banking details, or login codes to someone you met online. A request framed as an emergency, investment opportunity, travel problem, or proof of affection is a reason to stop and ask someone you trust for a second opinion.
Recognizing Suspicious Requests
- Pressure to move off-platform immediately.
- Requests to keep the relationship secret.
- Links, downloads, or login requests that you did not expect.
- Stories that change when you ask ordinary questions.
- Pressure to share intimate images or personal documents.
Romance Scam Warning Signs
Scammers may create fast emotional intensity while avoiding practical verification, then introduce a crisis or financial request. Do not try to prove loyalty by sending money. Pause contact, preserve relevant messages, and seek advice from someone you trust.
Verifying Someone Before Meeting
A voice or video conversation may make you more comfortable, but it does not prove identity or intent. Keep your boundaries, avoid sensitive information, and remember that you can decide not to meet.
Safe First-Date Planning
Choose a public, staffed place and make the first meeting brief. Arrange your own transportation, keep your phone charged, and avoid sharing your home address or allowing a new contact to pick you up.
Choosing a Public Meeting Place
A café, restaurant, museum, or other familiar venue with staff and other visitors is easier to leave than a private or isolated location. Share the location with a trusted person before you go.
Tell a Friend Where You Are
Send a friend the person’s name, meeting location, and expected return time. Set a check-in, and agree on what they should do if you do not respond.
Transportation and Exit Plans
Keep control of how you arrive and leave. Have enough battery and funds for your own ride, and leave immediately if you feel pressured, threatened, or simply uncomfortable.
Blocking and Reporting
Block contacts who harass, threaten, deceive, or repeatedly ignore boundaries. Use reporting tools for serious or repeated concerns and save relevant messages if you need to explain the situation.
Trust Your Instincts
You never owe a reply, meeting, explanation, or second chance. Feeling uneasy is enough reason to pause or end contact.
What to Do If You Feel Unsafe
Move to a populated place, contact someone you trust, and use appropriate local emergency or support services if there is immediate danger. Online politeness is never more important than your safety.
Online Dating Safety Checklist
- Keep your address, finances, and login details private.
- Question urgent requests, secrecy, and inconsistent stories.
- Do not send money or financial information.
- Tell a trusted person before meeting.
- Choose a public place and arrange your own transportation.
- Keep your phone charged and plan an easy exit.
- Block and report behavior that crosses your boundaries.
- Leave when something feels unsafe.