Date safer
Guides to dating safely online: spotting fake profiles and romance scams, checking who someone is, and meeting a match for the first time.
What can someone do with a picture of your ID? What to know before a match asks for it
What a picture of your driver's license gives a stranger, what it usually can't do on its own, and what to do today if a match already has one.
Angel shot: what it means, and how to get help on a date
What ordering an angel shot asks bar staff to do, why it only works where staff know the code, and a plan for getting help on a date that doesn't rely on it.
Signs of being roofied on a date, and what to do next
The signs you may have been drugged on a date, the steps for the next few hours, how long drugs stay detectable, and what drink tests can and can't tell you.
Match.com scams: Match's own list, its safety tools, and the FTC case
The six scams Match lists, what its report, block and photo tools actually do, how the FTC case ended, and where to report a Match scammer in the US.
Celebrity romance scams: how fake stars work, and how to check
Someone posing as a famous person, or their manager, messages a fan and asks for money. How the scam unfolds and what to do about it.
Recovery scams: how to spot the second scam after a romance scam
Someone offering to get back money you lost to a romance scam is often running a second scam. The signs, and where real help comes from.
Grindr scams: the ones Grindr warns about, and what to do
The scams Grindr names in its own guide, the tell and the move for each, what Grindr's safety tools really do, and what to do if a match targets you.
Fake dating sites: how to tell if a dating site or app is real
How to tell a fake dating site or app from a real one, what the FTC's cases and an AI-run app network show, and what to do if you already paid.
Money mule scams: what to do when a match asks you to move money
How a dating app match recruits you to move money for them, the eight requests to stop at, whether it is illegal if you didn't know, what a DOJ warning letter is, and where to report in the US.
How to spot a crypto romance scam before you send money
How a crypto romance scam moves from a dating app match to a fake trading platform, the signs to stop at, the official checks for a site or adviser, and what to do if you already sent money.
Facebook Dating scams: the warning signs, Meta's safety tools and what to do
The four warning signs Meta lists for Facebook Dating, what its safety tools actually cover, how to check a match before you meet, and what to do if a match asks for money.
How gift card scams work: why scammers want them, and what to do
Why scammers ask for gift cards, the stories a dating match might use, what happens to the codes once you share them, and who to call for each card.
How sugar daddy scams work, and how to spot one
The common sugar daddy scam scripts, the tell every money script shares, why a deposit can vanish after it shows in your account, and what to do if money has already moved.
Is Bumble legit? Scams, fake profiles and what its checks show
Bumble is a real dating app, but fake profiles and scams still reach it. Here is what each Bumble check shows, what it leaves out, and what to do if a match scams you.
How to report a romance scammer, and what to do next
A step-by-step guide for the first hours after a romance scam: stop paying, save the evidence, call your bank, and report to the dating app, the FTC and the FBI's IC3.
Online dating red flags: a checklist before you meet a match
A checklist of online dating red flags to look for in a match's profile and chat before you meet, with what to do about each one and where to report.
How to spot love bombing from a dating app match, and what to do
How to spot love bombing from a new dating app match, how it differs from real interest, when it is part of a romance scam, and where to get help.
What can someone do with your email address? What to know before you give it to a match
What someone can do with only your email address, from phishing and sign-up floods to extortion emails, what changes if they get into your inbox, and how to share an address with a match more safely.
WhatsApp dating scams: why matches move you off the app, and how to check
Why some dating matches push to move the chat to WhatsApp early, and the official checks and WhatsApp settings to use before you share your number, read October 17, 2026.
What can someone do with your phone number? What to know before you give it to a match
What someone can do with your phone number, from people-search sites and code scams to SIM swaps, with the carrier locks, app settings and second-number options that limit most of them, checked October 16, 2026.
Bots on dating apps: how to tell if you're talking to one
What Tinder, Hinge and Bumble say about bots and fake accounts, the signs they name, how AI-written messages fit in, and what to do if a match seems automated.
Is Tinder safe? What its safety tools do, and what they don't
Tinder's safety tools, read from its own pages: what each one does, where it stops, how its location settings work, and what to do before and after a first date.
What is catfishing? Why people do it, and how to check
Catfishing explained: the dictionary meaning, the 2010 film behind the word, what research says about why people do it, and the checks to run before a first date.
Signs of a romance scammer: what they say, and how to check
The warning signs US agencies name, the lines romance scammers use at each stage, the latest IC3 figures and the steps to take if a match asks for money.
Is Hinge safe? What its safety tools do, and what they don't
What Hinge's Selfie Verification, Face Check, filters and reporting actually do, what they leave out, and the checks to make yourself before a first date with a match.
Military romance scams: the stories they tell, and how to check
The leave fees, care packages and oil rig stories behind military romance scams, what the FTC and Army say is true, how to check a match, and where to report.
Dating background check: what you can check before a first date
What you can check about a match before a first date, what dating apps say they don't check, and where the Fair Credit Reporting Act draws the line.
How to tell if a dating profile is fake, and how to check
The signs of a fake dating profile, what each app's photo badge does and does not confirm, and the checks to run before a first date.
What is kittenfishing? How to spot it before a first date
What kittenfishing means, how it differs from catfishing, how common small profile stretches are, and five checks to run before a first date.
Will a romance scammer meet you in person? What to know before you do
The excuses romance scammers give for not meeting, the visit that never happens, how to check a match before a first date, and where to report a scam.
Is catfishing illegal? What US law says, and what to do
A dated table of the federal and state laws that can apply to catfishing, when a fake profile can become a crime, who can sue, and where to report it.
How to reverse image search a dating profile, and what it can't show
Step-by-step reverse image search for a match's photos, our October 9, 2026 test of what a flip, a crop or an AI-made face does to Google Lens and TinEye, and what to do if the photos belong to someone else.
How to stay safe on a first date: before, during and after
A before, during and after checklist for meeting a dating-app match, with a check-in text you can copy and a dated table of each app's own safety tools.
How to find someone's social media by phone number before a date
What each app's own help pages say about finding an account from a phone number, five checks to run on a match before a first date, and what an empty result does and doesn't mean.
Tinder scams: the common ones, how to spot them, and what to do
The scripts Tinder scammers use, from romance and crypto scams to verification codes and sextortion, how to spot each one, and where to report, with FBI and FTC figures.