Safety Tips

Last updated: 15 September 2026

Most people on dating apps are exactly who they say they are. A few are not. These habits cost you almost nothing and protect you from the ones who are not.

Never send money

This is the single most important rule. Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or bank details to someone you have met on a dating app — no matter how long you have been talking, how convincing the emergency sounds, or how much they promise to pay you back.

Common versions of this scam:

• A sudden medical bill, customs fee, or travel cost that stops them visiting you.
• An investment or crypto "opportunity" they want to help you with.
• A request to receive money and forward it on — this can make you part of money laundering.
• A link to a site where you need to "verify" your identity with card details.

Anyone who asks is running a scam. Report them and stop replying.

Keep personal details private at first

Your home address, workplace, daily routine, financial details and identity-document numbers do not belong in an early conversation. Keep chat inside the app until you trust someone — moving to another platform quickly is a common way to get you somewhere we cannot help.

Be careful about photos too. Background details can reveal where you live or work.

Signs worth a second look

• They refuse a live video call, or always have a reason the camera fails.
• The story changes, or details do not add up.
• They push very hard, very fast, for intense commitment.
• They want to leave the app for another messaging service immediately.
• Photos look like stock or model shots. A reverse image search takes seconds.
• They ask for intimate photos — these get used for blackmail.

Meeting for the first time

• Meet in public — a café, a busy restaurant, somewhere with other people around. Not your home, not theirs.
• Tell someone where you are going, who with, and when you expect to be back. Share your live location with a friend.
• Arrange your own transport, both ways. Do not be dependent on your date to get home.
• Watch your drink. Order it yourself, keep it with you.
• Stay sober enough to decide.
• Leave if it feels wrong. You owe nobody an explanation, and you do not have to be polite about it.

Consent

Consent is given freely, and it can be withdrawn at any point — including after you have already said yes. Someone who is asleep, unconscious, or too intoxicated to decide cannot consent. If someone ignores this, report them. Sexual assault is never the fault of the person it happened to.

Report it

Open the profile or the chat and use Block or Report. Blocking stops them contacting you; reporting sends it to us for review. You can also write to support@elenchia.online. Reports are confidential — the person you report is not told who reported them.

Report anyone who asks for money, appears to be under 18, sends unwanted sexual content, threatens you, or impersonates someone else.