Safety Tips

Meeting new people is exciting, and a few simple habits can make it much safer. These tips apply to any dating site or app.

Before you meet

• Chat on the site for a while first, and consider a quick video call to check that the person matches their photos.
• Keep your surname, home address, workplace and financial details private until you really trust someone.
• Be careful with anyone who quickly asks to move to another app, or whose story does not add up.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels off, stop the conversation.

Your first meeting

• Meet in a busy public place such as a cafe, and arrange your own transport there and back.
• Tell a friend who you are meeting, where and when, and check in with them afterwards.
• Keep your phone charged, stay alert and never leave your drink unattended.
• You can leave at any time, for any reason.

Sexual health

Use protection and get tested regularly. Your GP or a local sexual health clinic can talk to you confidentially about testing and prevention options such as PrEP.

Scams and blackmail

• Never send money, gift cards or crypto to someone you have only met online, whatever the reason given.
• Be careful about sharing intimate photos. If someone threatens to share them unless you pay, do not pay, stop contact, keep the messages as evidence and report it.
• You can report image-based abuse to the eSafety Commissioner and scams to ReportCyber.

Support

• In an emergency, call 000.
• For free, anonymous LGBTQ+ peer support, call QLife on 1800 184 527 (3pm to midnight, every day) or use webchat at qlife.org.au. QLife is not a crisis service.
• For crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Report a problem

If a profile breaks our rules or someone makes you uncomfortable, please report the profile with a link to it and a short description of what happened.