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Learn how to verify your date
Free, evidence-based educational guides and articles on online dating safety, identity verification, romance-scam prevention and public records — everything you need to date with confidence.
Start here — the essential guides
Four plain-English guides that cover the most common dating-verification questions, from verifying a match before you meet to spotting a romance scam.
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 is my online date marriedIs 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 spot a romance scamHow to Spot a Romance Scam
The warning signs of romance scams, love-bombing and financial manipulation on dating apps.
Read the guide reverse image search dating photosReverse Image Search for Dating Profiles
How reverse-image search and AI-photo detection reveal stolen or AI-generated dating photos.
Read the guideBrowse by topic
In-depth articles organized by the dating-safety questions our readers ask most.
Spotting Scams
Recognize romance scams, catfishing, love bombing and financial manipulation before you lose money or your heart.
Early Dating Red Flags You Shouldn't Ignore (Even When You Really Like Them)
The early days of dating are when you're most likely to excuse bad behavior. Here are the red flags that deserve your attention, not your rationalizations.
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Romance Scam Warning Signs: 12 Red Flags to Watch For
Romance scams cost victims hundreds of millions every year — and the victims are often smart, capable people. Here are the 12 warning signs that should make you stop and reassess.
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What Is Love Bombing? Signs, Tactics, and How to Spot It
It feels amazing — until it doesn't. Love bombing is intense affection used to control, not connect. Here's how to recognize it and tell it apart from genuine excitement.
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When Your Date's Stories Don't Add Up: What to Do
That low hum of wrongness is worth listening to. Here's how to recognize when someone's stories don't add up, why it happens, and what to do without becoming a detective.
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The Psychology of Romance Scams: Why Smart People Get Fooled
Romance scams catch engineers, doctors, and professors — not just the gullible. Here's the psychology of how they work, and why intelligence doesn't protect you.
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Long-Distance Online Dating: How to Know It's Real
Long-distance is the favorite cover of romance scammers — and the reality of many real couples. Here's how to tell a genuine long-distance relationship from a scam.
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What to Do If You Think You're Being Scammed Online
If you think you're being scammed, you're not stupid and you're not alone. Here's exactly what to do — step by step — to stop the damage, report it, and start recovering.
Read moreIdentity & Photos
Confirm someone is who they claim — reverse image search, AI-photo detection, and identity verification basics.
How to Tell If Your Online Date Is Lying About Who They Are
Most people stretch the truth a little on dating apps. But some lies are bigger than others. Here's how to tell when an online date is hiding who they really are.
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How to Spot a Catfish on a Dating App (Before You Get Hurt)
Catfishing is more common than most people think — and more damaging. Here's how to recognize a fake profile and protect yourself.
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Reverse Image Search for Dating Profiles: Catching Fake Photos
A reverse image search takes seconds and catches more fakes than any other tool. Here's how it works, what it finds, and what it doesn't.
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How to Verify Someone's Identity Before Meeting in Person
Before you meet an online match in person, a few simple checks can confirm they're who they claim. Here's what to verify, how, and how to do it without being weird.
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AI-Generated Photos on Dating Apps: How to Spot Them
Reverse image search can't catch a face that never existed. Here's how to spot AI-generated dating photos — the visual tells, the whole-profile clues, and what to do.
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How to Find Out If Someone Has Hidden Dating Profiles
Wondering if your partner is still on dating apps? Here's what you can legitimately check, what you shouldn't, why "cheater lookup" sites are mostly scams, and the better path.
Read morePublic Records
What marriage, divorce, property, court and license records can — and can't — tell you about a date.
Signs Your Online Date Is Married (and How to Check)
Wondering if the person you're talking to is already taken? These are the behavioral signs — and the public records that can confirm it.
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What Public Records Can Reveal About Someone You're Dating
Most adults leave a paper trail — marriages, property, court cases, licenses. Here's what public records can actually reveal about someone you're dating, and what they can't.
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How to Check If Someone Is Really Divorced
They said they're divorced — but are they really? Here's how to check divorce records, the difference between separated and divorced, and what the records can't tell you.
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How to Check Someone's Age Without Asking Directly
Age is one of the most faked details on dating profiles — and one of the easiest to verify. Here's how to tell someone's real age without asking, and when to check the records.
Read moreFirst Date Safety
Practical checklists for meeting an online match in person and moving a conversation from app to real life.
First Date Safety Checklist: Before, During, and After
The first date is the moment a stranger becomes real. This practical checklist — before, during, and after — keeps you safe without killing the romance.
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How to Safely Move a Dating App Conversation to Real Life
Moving an online connection into real life is the most important — and most delicate — step. Here's how to do it safely, sanely, and with the right expectations.
Read moreOnline Dating Privacy
Protect your personal information, photos and safety while looking for love online.
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