Resources & Education

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Safety Tips

Learn how to date safely and recognize different warning signs.

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To Protect Yourself Online

• Remember there is no replacement for meeting someone in person: While phone calls and video chats may feel reassuring, they are not foolproof. Scammers can use deepfake technology to create convincing videos or manipulate their voices to make you believe they are someone they’re not. 

• Keep conversations on the app until you meet in person: Scammers often try to move conversations off dating apps quickly. Keeping conversations within the app helps the platform monitor for suspicious activity and allows you to report concerns more easily.
• Be wary of rapid relationship progression and excessive flattery: Scammers will often give excessive compliments and flattery as a tactic to distract you from their ulterior motives. Scammers often express strong emotions in a very short period to try to gain your trust quickly.

• Protect your personal information: Never share personal information, such as financial information or your home or work address before meeting up in person. 

• Never send money or payments: Never send payments or provide financial assistance to someone you haven’t met in person, even if they claim to be in an emergency. Never share information that could be used to access your financial accounts. If another user asks you for money, report it immediately. 

• Never take investment advice from people you meet through dating apps: Scammers often pose as financially successful individuals offering you opportunities to invest in cryptocurrency, forex trading, or other “exclusive” ventures. If a match offers you the opportunity to sign up and begin trading on a cryptoinvestment platform, that is likely a scam. 

• Be wary of sharing intimate content: Do not send explicit photos or videos to anyone you haven’t met in person. Scammers can use this content to extort money or manipulate you into complying with their demands. Be wary of people who push for intimacy too quickly or try to escalate the conversation into sexual topics early on.

• Review your privacy settings on other apps: Make sure to review the privacy settings on your social media and messaging apps. Limit the visibility of personal details like your contact lists, friend lists, and photos to reduce how much information scammers can access about you.

• Report suspicious behavior: Use in-app reporting tools to alert online platforms about suspicious user behavior. If you move to another app to communicate and someone engages in suspicious behavior, report it to both apps.

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To Protect Yourself Offline

• Don't be in a rush: Take your time and get to know the other person before agreeing to meet or chat off-platform. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to screen for any red flags or personal dealbreakers. A phone or video call can be a useful screening tool before meeting.

• Meet in public and stay in public: Meet in a populated, public place — never at your home, your date’s home, or any other private location. If your date pressures you to go to a private location, end the date.

• Tell friends and family about your plans: Tell a friend or family member of your plans, including when and where you’re going. Have your cell phone charged and with you at all times. Consider using your phone’s built-in features to share your location with someone you trust while you’re out on a date.

• Be in control of your transportation: We want you to be in control of how you get to and from your date so that you can leave whenever you want. If you’re driving yourself, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan such as a ride-share app or a friend to pick you up.

• Know your limits: Be aware of the effects of drugs or alcohol on you specifically — they can impair your judgment and your alertness. If your date tries to pressure you to use drugs or drink more than you’re comfortable with, hold your ground and end the date.

• Don't leave drinks or personal items unattended: Know where your drink comes from and know where it is at all times — only accept drinks poured or served directly from the bartender or server. Many substances that are slipped into drinks to facilitate sexual assault are odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Also, keep your phone, purse, wallet, and anything containing personal information on you at all times.

• If you feel uncomfortable, leave: It’s okay to end the date early if you’re feeling uncomfortable. In fact, it’s encouraged. And if your instincts are telling you something is off or you feel unsafe, ask the bartender or server for help.

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Types of Scams

A Guide to Different Types of Scams and How to Protect Yourself from Fraud

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Romance Scams

Romance scammers pose as someone deeply interested in a romantic relationship to gain your trust and eventually ask for money. They will typically try to move you off app as quickly as possible. They may spend weeks or even months building an emotional connection, often claiming to be professionals like military personnel, oil workers, or doctors. These scammers are skilled at manipulating emotions and will repeatedly find reasons to request money or financial support from you. 

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Red Flags to Watch For:

• Requests to Move Off the App Quickly: Scammers often try to shift the conversation to encrypted messaging platforms or messaging apps early in your conversation, claiming it’s more convenient. This is a warning sign, as it enables them to communicate without the app’s monitoring or safeguards.
• Excessive Flattery and Rapid Relationship Progression: Romance scammers will give excessive compliments and flattery and indicate very early on that they have strong feelings for you. 

• Making Excuses to Avoid Meeting: Romance scammers always have a reason that they can’t meet in person—frequent travel, family emergencies, or work abroad. They may offer excuses that sound legitimate but continue indefinitely. Remember that phone calls and video chats are not a substitute for meeting in person as scammers can utilize deepfake technology to mask their faces and voices. 

• Requests for Financial Help: They might claim to need money for a sudden crisis, like a medical emergency, a travel problem, a business crisis, or a family emergency. They may make excuses as to why they can’t access funds and will often ask for small amounts first to build trust.

• Requests for Secrecy: They may insist on keeping your relationship private or discourage you from discussing it with friends or family, claiming they want to “protect” your connection.

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Investment Scams

Investment scammers may seem like any other match—someone looking for a genuine connection. However, they will often try to move conversations off the app quickly to other messaging platforms.. Once there, they’ll casually begin mentioning their financial success in cryptocurrency or foreign exchange (forex) trading, framing it as a normal part of their life. Their ultimate goal is to lure you into fake investment opportunities using sophisticated tactics to gain your trust.

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Scammers create an illusion of legitimacy by introducing you to fake trading platforms that look like professional investment tools or funds. These platforms may show fabricated account balances and profits to convince you that the investment is real. Scammers often rely on pressure tactics tied to “ideal market conditions,” claiming you need to act quickly to capitalize on a rare opportunity. To make the scam appear genuine, they may even allow you to withdraw small amounts early on. However, this is a calculated move to get you to invest larger sums. Once you do, they’ll claim you need to pay additional taxes or fees to withdraw your funds. These demands are simply designed to steal more money, and you will never be able to recover your initial investment.

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Red Flags to Watch For:

• Requests to Move Off the App Quickly: Scammers often try to shift the conversation to encrypted messaging platforms or messaging apps early in your conversation, claiming it’s more convenient. This is a warning sign, as it enables them to communicate without the app’s monitoring or safeguards.
• Making Excuses to Avoid Meeting: Scammers always have a reason that they can’t meet in person—frequent travel, family commitments, or work abroad. They may offer excuses that sound legitimate but continue indefinitely. Remember that phone calls and video chats are not a substitute for meeting in person as scammers can utilize deepfake technology to mask their faces and voices. 
• Conversations Focus on Finances: Scammers may casually mention their success in cryptocurrency or forex trading, often bringing it up as part of their personal story to build credibility. They may ask you about your financial goals, which they’ll use later to convince you to invest. 
• Fake Proof of Success: Scammers may share screenshots of trading accounts, photos of luxury items, or fabricated market reports showing impressive profits. All of these are designed to make their story and the investment seem legitimate.
• Professional-Looking Platforms: Scammers may direct you to a trading platform or app that appears polished and credible. You’ll be told to buy cryptocurrency from a legitimate exchange and then send the money from that exchange to the wallet on the fake trading platform. These platforms display fake account balances and returns, making it look like your investments are growing when they’re not.
• Access to Accounts to Enable “Practice”: Scammers may give you access to what appears to be their personal trading account, allowing you to “practice trading.” These accounts are fabricated, and the profits you see are illusions designed to build your confidence and encourage real investments.
• Pressure to Act Quickly: Scammers emphasize urgency, claiming the opportunity is time-sensitive or market conditions are perfect. Phrases like “You can’t miss out on this—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance!” are common.
• Initial Financial Earnings to Build Trust: Early on, you might be able to withdraw small amounts of money from your investment fund. This may make the investment appear genuine and profitable, but it is a ploy to gain your confidence and encourage you to invest larger amounts. 
• Taxes or Fees to Withdraw Funds: After you’ve invested more, they’ll demand additional payments for taxes, fees, or penalties to access your money. No matter how much you pay, you will never be able to withdraw your funds.‍
• Discouraging Advice from Others: They may warn you against discussing the opportunity with friends, family, or financial advisors, framing the investment as private or exclusive.

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Money Mule Scams

Money mule scams are often a variant of a romance scam and may employ similar tactics to gain your trust. Money mule scammers use you to move or transfer stolen money, often making you an unwitting participant in illegal activity. They create elaborate stories to justify why they need your help and often frame the situation as a favor or a temporary inconvenience. These scammers may even make you feel like you’re helping someone in need, but engaging in these transactions could have serious financial and legal consequences, including prison time.

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Red Flags to Watch For:

• Requests to Move Off the App Quickly: Scammers often try to shift the conversation to encrypted messaging platforms or messaging apps early in your conversation, claiming it’s more convenient. This is a warning sign, as it enables them to communicate without the app’s monitoring or safeguards.
• Requests to Handle Money: Scammers might ask you to send or receive money on their behalf, claiming they’re having trouble accessing their own bank account or funds. 
• Complicated Stories About Access to Their Financial Accounts: They’ll often tell elaborate stories to justify their request, such as being stuck abroad, dealing with legal or business issues, or having a frozen bank account.
• Encouragement to Borrow Funds:  If you are unable to continue providing them with money, they may urge you to take out loans, borrow from family or friends, or even borrow against your property. They will promise to reimburse you, but this will never happen.
• Secrecy and Urgency: Scammers may ask you not to tell anyone about the transactions and emphasize the need for immediate action to avoid penalties or other issues.
• Unusual Payment Methods: They might request that you use wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency for these transactions, all of which are difficult to trace.

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Sextortion Scams

Sextortion scams are a form of online blackmail where scammers manipulate you into sharing explicit or intimate content, then threaten to distribute it unless their demands are met. These scammers often move conversations quickly off the dating app to messaging platforms. They escalate the conversation to a sexual nature early on, sending fake intimate or explicit photos or videos of themselves to entice you into sharing similar content. Once they have potentially compromising material, they threaten to send it to your family, friends, or social media contacts unless you pay them. These scams can happen quickly and leave you feeling helpless - so remember there are resources available to help you. 

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Red Flags to Watch For:

• Requests to Move Off the App Quickly: Scammers often try to shift the conversation to encrypted messaging platforms or messaging apps early in your conversation, claiming it’s more convenient. This is a warning sign, as it enables them to communicate without the app’s monitoring or safeguards.
• Impersonation of Law Enforcement: You may receive a call or message from someone claiming to be a police officer or other law enforcement official. They will allege that the person you exchanged intimate content with is underage and demand payment to “resolve the situation” and avoid legal action.
• Claims of Suicidal Behavior: You may receive a call or message from someone claiming to be the individual’s parent. They will say their child is underage and has suffered emotional distress as a result of your exchange. The “parent” may say that the individual is suicidal or hospitalized, and ask you to pay hospital bills or associated medical or therapy bills.

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Advance Payment Scams

Advance payments scams are scams in which your match tries to solicit money or payment from you prior to meeting in person.

Red Flags to Watch For:

• Requests to cover transportation fees: Scammers may say they need you to send them gas money or Uber/Taxi fare so they can meet you on a date. 
• Requests for payment for tickets: Scammers may say they need you to pay for tickets to a show you’re planning to attend together. 
• Requests to pay customs fees: Scammers may say they’re sending you a gift and you just have to pay the customs fees or delivery fees to receive the gift. 

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Resources

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Guide to Healthy Dating

Dating is one of life's great joys. Together with our partner NO MORE we've developed the Healthy Dating guides in 8+ languages to help both keep you safe and aware of the impact your behaviors may have on others.

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Throughline

Match Group partners with ThroughLine, the world’s largest verified network of crisis hotlines and helplines, to provide users with free and confidential support globally. ThroughLine’s database spans over 130 countries and covers 23 issue areas, including gender-based violence, scams, suicide prevention, and mental health support.

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