How to Stay Safe When Using Online Dating Apps

Online dating apps have become a mainstream way for people of all ages to meet. For seniors especially, they offer a way to connect with others after retirement, after a loss, or after moving to a new area. But the same platforms that help people find genuine connections also attract scammers who prey on people's desire for companionship.

The good news is that a handful of consistent habits make a very big difference in staying safe.

Start by protecting your personal information. Do not share your home address, workplace, or daily routine with someone you have not met in person and do not yet know well. Use the in-app messaging system rather than immediately sharing your personal phone number — most dating apps have built-in messaging for this reason, and it keeps your number private until you are comfortable sharing it.

Video calling before meeting someone in person is one of the smartest safety checks you can do. Scammers create fake profiles using stolen photos of attractive strangers. They almost always refuse or avoid video calls because they cannot fake their appearance in real time. If someone is always "too busy" to video call or has constant technical problems, treat that as a serious warning sign.

For a first meeting, choose a public location — a coffee shop, a restaurant, a park. Tell a trusted friend or family member where you are going, who you are meeting, and when they should expect to hear back from you. Arrange your own transportation for the first few meetings — do not let someone you just met pick you up or know your address.

Romance scammers follow a recognizable pattern. They fall in love very quickly — often within days or weeks. They have a constant stream of crises requiring money: they are stranded overseas on a business trip, a family member is in the hospital, a business deal needs emergency funding. They always have a reason they cannot meet in person or video chat. They may claim to be doctors, military personnel, or successful business owners working abroad. If any of these patterns appear, stop all contact.

To check whether a profile photo is stolen, right-click on the photo (on a computer) and choose "Search Image with Google" or save the image and upload it to Google Images. This shows you other places the photo appears online.

Report suspicious profiles to the dating app's safety team — every major platform has a reporting feature. Popular apps with good safety features for seniors include SilverSingles, OurTime, Match.com, and Hinge. Report financial losses from romance scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.