Dating App Safety Checklist: Red Flags, Privacy Settings and Scams

Seven red flags in a new match, the privacy settings to turn on first, and what to do if a match asks for money, based on FTC and FBI guidance.

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By the Thecadrion Editorial Team · Checked against official sources · Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

Most people who use dating apps never meet anything worse than an awkward first coffee. In a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, three in ten U.S. adults had tried a dating site or app, and 48% called it a very or somewhat safe way to meet people.

When something goes wrong, the losses are large. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says reported losses to romance scams increased by 22% in 2025, to about $2,020 per person, after passing $1 billion a year in 2022 and 2023. Here are the warning signs, the settings to switch on, and what to do if a match asks for money.

The numbers in brief

  • $1.14 billion reported lost to romance scams in 2023, across 64,003 reports, median $2,000 each (FTC, February 2024).
  • 23,159 complaints and about $929 million in confidence/romance fraud losses reached the FBI in 2025, up from $672 million in 2024 (FBI IC3 2025 report).
  • Nearly 60% of people who lost money to a romance scam in 2025 said it started on social media (FTC Data Spotlight, April 2026).
  • 52% of online-dating users think they have encountered a scammer; 30% of U.S. adults have used a dating site or app (Pew Research Center, 2022 survey).

Seven red flags in a new match

The FBI and the FTC describe one pattern: fast intimacy, a reason you can never meet, then a request. One sign deserves a pause; several together are the scam.

  1. They want to leave the app right away. The FBI warns about anyone who seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave the dating service to talk directly.
  2. They can never video call or meet. Deployed overseas, on an oil rig, building abroad: the FBI says that if you have not met after a few months, whatever the reason, be suspicious.
  3. They ask for money, gift cards or cryptocurrency. Never send money or gifts to someone you have not met in person; crypto and bank wires carried over 60% of 2022 romance-scam losses.
  4. They offer investment tips. An offer to teach you investing showed up in 18% of 2022 reports. Crypto investment fraud, which the FBI says typically starts on social media or dating apps, cost $7.2 billion in 2025.
  5. There is a sudden emergency. Hospital bill, plane ticket, visa fee: in 24% of 2022 reports the match or a relative was suddenly sick, hurt or in jail.
  6. They push for secrecy and speed. The FBI flags anyone who tries to isolate you from friends and family.
  7. They ask for intimate photos. Private images can be used to extort you, the FBI warns; most victims in its 2021 alert met the extortionist on a dating site or app.

Privacy settings to switch on first

Scammers work with whatever you give them, so be careful what you post, as the FBI puts it. Each control below links to the maker's help page: check the current wording and whether it is free.

Compare the apps and their privacy tools

Before the first meeting

Before meeting in person, RAINN's advice comes down to four habits:

  • Pick a public place. Meet in a well-lit, busy spot such as a coffee shop, restaurant or park, and never leave your food or drink unattended.
  • Tell a friend. Share who, where and when, and agree on a code word; Tinder's Share My Date and Plenty of Fish's Safety Toolbox send the details in-app.
  • Use your own transport. Drive, book a rideshare or have a friend drop you off, so you can leave when you want.
  • Do not be rushed. RAINN calls pressure to meet quickly a red flag; an in-app video call on Bumble or Badoo lets you talk first without giving out your number.

RAINN adds that nothing you do or do not do can prevent another person's predatory actions; these steps only lower the risk.

If someone asks you for money

A request for money is where the FTC says to stop, whatever the story. In order:

  1. Stop communicating and tell someone you trust. End contact the moment money comes up, even a small loan, and tell a friend or relative; scammers count on secrecy.
  2. Check the story. Search their name and job with the word scammer and reverse image search the photo; a hit under another name is a red flag, though no hit is not proof, as AI can fake a believable photo.
  3. Report inside the app. Use block and report, and notify the dating app or social network where you met.
  4. If you paid, call whoever moved the money. The FTC's What To Do if You Were Scammed page: contact your bank, wire service, payment app, gift card issuer (keep card and receipt) or crypto exchange immediately; crypto is hardest to recover.
  5. File official reports. Report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC) and ic3.gov (FBI) with the scammer's name, contact methods, dates and where the money went; if you shared personal details, use IdentityTheft.gov.

One more FBI warning: victims are also targeted by recovery scams promising to get the money back for a fee. Official reporting is free.

If intimate images are used against you

The FBI calls this sextortion: threats to share private images unless demands are met. It logged more than 75,000 such submissions in 2025; its 2021 alert found most victims met the extortionist on a dating site or app.

The official advice: stop all interaction, keep the messages, and report at ic3.gov without embarrassment. Adults can use StopNCII.org, the removal service the FBI points to (under-18s: NCMEC's Take It Down); avoid for-profit companies that charge victims for help. The FBI's prevention rule: never send compromising images to anyone, whoever they say they are.

Frequently asked questions

Is online dating safe?
Most people use dating apps without serious trouble, but in Pew's 2022 survey only 48% of U.S. adults called them a very or somewhat safe way to meet people, and 52% of users thought they had encountered a scammer. The habits in this guide reduce the risk; nothing removes it entirely.
Does a verified badge prove the person is real?
No. It means a selfie matched the profile photos when the check ran, nothing more. The FBI's sextortion page puts it plainly: videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be, because images can be altered or stolen. Treat the badge as one signal and still talk by video before you meet.
How do I check whether a profile photo is stolen?
Save the image, go to google.com, choose Search by image and upload it. A match under a different name is a red flag, but no match is not proof, because AI can generate a convincing fake photo in seconds.
How do I see what a dating app collects?
Open the app's Google Play listing, tap Data safety, then See details. It lists what the app collects and shares, whether data is encrypted in transit and whether you can request deletion; keep in mind the developer fills it in.
I already sent money. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. Contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, gift card company or crypto exchange immediately, then report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. Ignore anyone who offers to recover the money for a fee; the FBI says recovery scams target the same victims.
Are romance scams mainly a problem for older adults?
Older adults lose the most money: people 60 and over filed 10,188 romance-fraud complaints to the FBI in 2025 with about $584 million in losses. Younger adults are targeted differently; the FTC found that in 2022 people aged 18 to 29 were over six times as likely to report sextortion as those 30 and over.

Key takeaways

  • Romance-scam losses reported to the FTC passed $1 billion a year in 2022 and 2023, and the FTC reports a further 22% increase in 2025.
  • The pattern repeats: fast intimacy, a reason you cannot meet, then a request for money, gift cards, crypto or an investment.
  • Switch on incognito or stealth modes, block contacts, get verified, limit location precision and keep your full name and workplace off your profile.
  • If money or images are involved: stop contact, call whoever moved the money, report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov, and use StopNCII.org.

For how these apps work and what to check before choosing one, start with the short guide.

How private dating apps work

Official sources

About this guide: researched and written by the Thecadrion Editorial Team. Thecadrion is an independent, ad-supported publisher and is not affiliated with any app mentioned. App features and prices change; check each official listing before you download. Questions or corrections: contact@thecadrion.com.

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