A Match › Online dating safety: a practical UK guide
Online dating safety: a practical UK guide
Most online dates go fine. These habits are about making the rare bad one much less likely, from the first message to the first meeting.
Before you match
Safety starts with your profile. Use photos that do not show your house number, your car registration or your workplace. Leave out your surname, your exact job title and your home area. A first name and a general town or city is plenty.
Use a strong, unique password for any dating account and switch on two-step verification if it is offered. If you share a photo, remember that anyone can save it. A reverse image search later can show whether someone else's photos are being reused by a fake profile.
Checking that someone is real
Fake profiles are common, and many are run by fraudsters. Warning signs include:
- Very few photos, or photos that look like a model shoot.
- A job that keeps them abroad (military, oil rig, overseas doctor).
- Declarations of love within days.
- Refusing a live video call, or endless excuses about the camera.
- Messages that read oddly or ignore what you wrote.
A short video call before you meet is a good habit. It confirms the person looks like their photos, and it costs nothing. Anyone genuine will understand.
Keeping details private
Do not share your home address, financial details, passwords or one-time codes with someone you have met online, however friendly they are. Be careful about sharing intimate photos. Once sent, you cannot control them, and fraudsters sometimes use them to blackmail people.
Moving to another messaging app is not wrong in itself, but do it only once you feel you know the person. Dating services often have tools to block and report people, and those tools only work while you are on the platform.
Planning the first meeting
- Choose a public place in daylight or a busy evening spot: a cafe, a pub with food, a gallery.
- Make your own way there and home. Do not accept a lift on a first date.
- Tell a friend the name, the venue and the time. Agree a check-in message.
- Keep your phone charged and stay sober enough to judge a situation.
- Watch your drink and do not leave it unattended.
- Trust your instincts. You can leave at any point, and you do not owe anyone an explanation.
Red flags during the date
Be wary of anyone who pressures you to go somewhere private, pushes you to drink more than you want, or gets angry when you say no. Controlling behaviour on the first date rarely improves later. If you feel unsafe, tell staff at the venue and call 999 if you are in danger.
After the date
Message your friend that you are home. If you want to see the person again, say so. If you do not, a short kind message is enough. If they will not take no for an answer, block them and report them to the dating service. Keep screenshots if there is any harassment, and contact the police on 101 (or 999 in an emergency). Police advice is to keep all communication on the dating platform rather than moving to personal email or social media, and to be wary of matches who say they live in the UK but may not.
When money comes up
Any request for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or help with a bank transfer from someone you have not met is a serious warning. See our guide to romance scams for how these stories run. A good first-date plan is in our first date ideas.
This is general information, not personal safety or legal advice. If you are worried about your safety, contact the police.
A short checklist to save
- Photos checked for house numbers, car plates and workplace signs.
- Unique password and two-step verification switched on.
- Video call done before meeting.
- Public venue, own transport, friend told.
- No money, gift cards or bank details shared, ever.
Run through it before every first date. It takes two minutes and covers the most common ways things go wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Should I video call before meeting?
It is a sensible step. It helps confirm someone is who their photos suggest, and genuine people will usually agree.
Is it safe to give my phone number?
Only once you feel comfortable. Many people wait until after a video call or until they have decided to meet.
What should I do if a date makes me feel unsafe?
Leave, tell venue staff and call 999 if you are in danger. You do not owe anyone politeness at the cost of safety.