If Netflix’s recent The Tinder Swindler documentary left you feeling wary of online dating, you’re not alone! An immediate hit on the streaming site, audiences around the world watched the story of how one man stole millions of dollars from his matches.
If you’re thinking about deleting all dating apps and throwing your phone in the sea, stop right there! At #Dating, your safety is our top priority. You deserve to continue using dating apps to have fun (and maybe even find love).
Here are 6 helpful tips to help you stay safe while using #Dating!
Here Are 6 Tips for Safe Online Dating
1. Report suspicious profiles
When you’re swiping, you’ll notice it says “Is something wrong with this profile?” at the bottom of every profile. Simply tap on “Report this profile” if you think it looks suspicious.
If you’ve already had contact with the user, in the chat with them you’ll see 3 vertical dots next to the reply field. If you tap on the dots, you’ll see the option to “Report abuse”. If you wish, you can also unmatch with the person here.
When it comes to profile photos, at #Dating we check every single photo that is uploaded to make sure it’s in line with our guidelines. We use a powerful combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and human checks to screen every picture so that you can have an enjoyable experience. This also helps us to detect fake profiles and reduce scams.
But if something has slipped through the net and you see a profile or photo that goes against our guidelines or feels inappropriate, please let us know. Our users play an important part in keeping the platform safe, so don’t hesitate to use our flagging system if you sense that something’s off!
2. Let us know if you encounter a problem
While AI can be of great help in some areas, we believe that human contact is priceless when addressing issues that our users have. Our customer support team is a human contact that will be able to assist you if you encounter a problem. So, send us a message if at any point you feel unsafe on #Dating: simply go to the app settings and select “Feedback”, then “Problem”.
Your safety is our top priority! If there’s been an incident, please tell us about it with as many details as possible, including:
- Information about what happened
- Name, age and photos of the user you are reporting, with screenshots
- The user’s location and email address, if known
We’ll do our best to work as quickly as possible to resolve the situation. We always want you to feel safe and will do everything we can to help.
3. Stay on #Dating until you know the person better
You can start trusting strangers when they stop being strangers. Until you know enough about a person, stay on #Dating while communicating with them. You can rely on us for your safety when you’re using #Dating. If you move the conversation outside of our app, we might not be able to help you as much as we could if a problem does arise.
Also, make sure that you get to know them well before you meet them in person. It’s good practice to have the same amount of caution while using dating apps as you would when meeting someone new in person; you probably wouldn’t go anywhere with them until you’re sure you know who they are!
4. Don’t share your personal information until you’re sure it’s safe
Your email address, phone number, home address or where you work is all personal information that you should only ever share with people you trust. It’s not a good idea to give out this information to people you don’t know yet. It’s also not a good idea to trust people who share their own information straight away either.
If they want to meet you, they don’t have to know your home address. Agree to meet them in a public place instead. There’s no need to share your email address or phone number either because you can keep chatting on #Dating!
You can always kindly reject anyone who asks you for your personal information. Consider sharing these things only when you know who the person is and that you can trust them 100%.
5. Don’t ever send money
#Dating is a place where you should meet people and have fun. It’s not a place where someone should ask you for any money! You’re here to make meaningful connections, not give out loans (hello, Tinder Swindler!).
If someone asks you to send them money, report them right away. Even if you like the person, ask yourself why they would do that. Would you ask for money from someone you just met? Probably not. So, keep you and #Dating users all over the world safe by reporting the person asking for money.
Even if the person is so charming, attractive and convincing that it feels like you’ve known each other for years, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Bank transfers and love are not a match made in heaven…
6. Meet in public and tell someone your plans
If you decide to meet up with someone you met online, make sure to meet them in a public place. Also, let a friend or family member know where, who and when you’re meeting. This is a quick and easy step that helps you stay safe!
So stop being so secretive about the people you meet on dating apps (it’s 2022, it’s normal now!). Even if you feel you trust your date, always let someone else know about your plans to meet up.
There are many things you can do to stay safe while using #Dating. You can report suspicious profiles, unmatch if you feel unsafe talking to someone and, most importantly, you can always contact us if you feel in any way uncomfortable or threatened. The world isn’t always a safe place and it’s so important to take the necessary precautions to stay protected while finding love.
#Dating is supposed to be fun, enjoyable and safe – and we’re doing everything we can to keep it that way. But it’s not just a result of our safety measures: #Dating is also safe thanks to our users!
So, keep these tips in mind to make sure online dating stays safe and enjoyable for everyone!
