Dating Safety Guides
Free dating safety & verification guides
Evidence-based, plain-English guides to help you verify an online match before the relationship gets serious.
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How to Verify Someone Before a First Date
A practical checklist for checking an online match before you meet in person — safely and privately.
Read the guide safe online datingSafe Online Dating: The Complete Checklist
A step-by-step safety checklist for every stage of online dating — profile setup, first messages, the first date, and beyond.
Read the guide safe first dateHow to Have a Safe First Date: The Complete Guide
Everything to do before, during, and after a first date with someone you met online — planning, exit strategies, and the flags to watch.
Read the guideSpotting deception & scams
How to Spot a Romance Scam
The warning signs of romance scams, love-bombing and financial manipulation on dating apps.
Read the guide spot a catfishHow to Spot a Catfish on a Dating App
The behavioral signs, photo red flags, and exact steps to confirm whether the person you're talking to is real.
Read the guide dating app red flagsDating App Red Flags: 25 Warning Signs
A comprehensive catalog of the 25 most reliable dating-app red flags — from love bombing to financial asks.
Read the guide signs your date is lyingSigns Your Online Date Is Lying to You
The verbal, behavioral, and digital signs of deception — and how to confirm the truth without tipping them off.
Read the guide love bombingLove Bombing: Signs and How to Protect Yourself
What love bombing is, why it works, and how to tell it from genuine affection.
Read the guide narcissist dating signsSigns of a Narcissist on Dating Apps
How to recognize narcissistic patterns early — grandiosity, entitlement, and the idealize-devalue-discard cycle.
Read the guide romance scam recoveryWhat to Do If You've Been Romance Scammed
A step-by-step recovery guide — stop the bleeding, preserve evidence, report, and protect yourself from repeat fraud.
Read the guide report a dating scammerHow to Report a Dating Scammer
Exactly where to report, what evidence to preserve, and how reporting helps protect the next person.
Read the guideVerifying identity, photos & location
Reverse Image Search for Dating Profiles
How reverse-image search and AI-photo detection reveal stolen or AI-generated dating photos.
Read the guide AI generated photosHow to Check if Dating Photos Are AI-Generated
The visual artifacts, behavioral tells, and tools that confirm whether a profile image is real or synthetic.
Read the guide is my date realHow to Check if an Online Date Is a Real Person
A complete process for confirming a match is a real, distinct human — not a catfish, bot, or scammer.
Read the guide verify someone's ageHow to Verify Someone's Real Age Online
Why people lie about age, how to tell when they are, and how to confirm the real number from public records.
Read the guide verify someone's locationHow to Verify Someone's Real Location
Why a location lie is one of the most consequential deceptions — and the concrete ways to confirm where someone is.
Read the guide verify someone's jobHow to Verify Someone's Job and Income Claims
How to confirm what someone actually does for a living — and what an unverifiable work story usually means.
Read the guideRecords & background checks
Is My Online Date Married? How to Check
What public marriage and divorce records can — and can't — tell you about someone you met online.
Read the guide background check online dateHow to Run a Background Check on Someone You Met Online
A clear, legal guide to gathering the publicly available facts and comparing them to what you've been told.
Read the guide check criminal recordHow to Check if Someone Has a Criminal Record
What criminal history is public, how to search it yourself, and how to read the results fairly.
Read the guide long distance dating safetyLong-Distance Online Dating: Safety and Verification
The specific risks of distance, the verification steps that matter most, and the scams to watch for.
Read the guideSafety by audience
Dating Safety Tips for Women Meeting Men Online
Practical, evidence-based safety advice for women — from profile setup to the warning signs worth ending things over.
Read the guide dating safety for menDating Safety Tips for Men Meeting People Online
Protecting your identity, your money, and your safety from scams, catfishing, and financial extortion.
Read the guide dating app privacyHow to Protect Your Privacy on Dating Apps
What your profile reveals, how apps use your data, and the settings and habits that keep your identity safe.
Read the guideWant a full report instead?
We compile the research for you into one private, evidence-based report.
Guides are reviewed regularly and updated as dating-app behavior and public-record access change.