Meeting someone you first encountered online has become completely normal. A conversation might begin on Tinder, Bumble, Hinge or Grindr, through Instagram or Facebook, inside a gaming community, on Reddit or Discord, or simply because someone wants to buy something you advertised on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

Most online connections never become dangerous. Many turn into friendships, relationships, hookups, marriages, business connections and perfectly ordinary marketplace transactions. But there is one important difference between meeting someone online and meeting through friends, family or an established community: until you meet them in person, you may know only what they have chosen to tell you.

That does not mean approaching every new person with suspicion. It means taking a few sensible precautions before giving an unfamiliar person access to your time, personal information, home, money or physical safety.

This Australian guide brings together practical precautions with current advice from the eSafety Commissioner, Victoria Police and Scamwatch.

This guide provides general safety information, not legal, medical or emergency advice. If you are in immediate danger in Australia, call Triple Zero (000).

Quick Answer: How Do You Safely Meet Someone From the Internet?

If you are meeting someone from the internet for the first time, verify as much as reasonably possible beforehand, save their profile and relevant messages, tell someone you trust where you are going, arrange your own transport and choose a busy public location for the first meeting where practical.

Do not unnecessarily reveal your home address, exact workplace, banking details or other sensitive information. Be cautious if the person refuses every video call, repeatedly changes their story, pressures you to move off the original platform immediately, asks for money or cryptocurrency, pushes you to send intimate images, becomes angry about boundaries or changes the meeting plan at the last minute.

Most importantly, remember that agreeing to meet someone never obliges you to stay. You can leave at any time.

60-Second Safety Checklist Before You Leave

Check	Question to Ask Yourself
✓ Identity	Does the person’s basic story, profile and appearance appear reasonably consistent?
✓ Evidence	Have I saved their profile, username and relevant messages?
✓ Safety contact	Does someone I trust know who I am meeting, where I am going and roughly when I expect to finish?
✓ Location	Is the first meeting somewhere public and populated where practical?
✓ Transport	Can I arrive and leave independently?
✓ Phone	Is my phone charged and accessible?
✓ Privacy	Have I avoided unnecessarily revealing my home address, workplace or financial information?
✓ Boundaries	Am I comfortable with what has been agreed?
✓ Exit	Can I leave easily if the meeting feels uncomfortable?
✓ Perspective	Am I willing to cancel or leave even if doing so feels awkward?

Why Meeting Someone Online Requires Different Precautions

You can have an extraordinarily detailed conversation with someone online without actually knowing whether all of those details are true.

A profile can show genuine photographs while containing a false occupation. A person can use their real name but lie about their relationship status. Someone can be exactly who they claim to be and still behave badly when you meet. Conversely, someone who is cautious about disclosing information online may have completely legitimate privacy reasons.

That is why the objective is not to conduct an amateur investigation into everybody you meet. The objective is to reduce avoidable risk.

Australian authorities now treat online-meeting safety as extending well beyond traditional dating scams. Current guidance addresses physical safety, sexual offences, privacy, fake identities, romance scams, cryptocurrency schemes, money muling, sextortion, image-based abuse and post-meeting reporting.

20 Rules for Meeting Someone From the Internet Safely

1. Verify the Person Before You Meet

Do a reasonable identity check before arranging a meeting. A short live video call can provide more information than another profile photograph. You can also look for obvious inconsistencies between what the person says and what appears on their profile.

Victoria Police suggests considering a reverse-image search where appropriate and being alert to inconsistent stories or repeated claims that someone’s camera does not work.

Verification reduces uncertainty. It does not prove that someone is trustworthy or safe.

2. Save Their Profile and Relevant Conversation

This is one of the easiest precautions to overlook.

The eSafety Commissioner recommends recording a person’s profile and messages before meeting them. If somebody later blocks or unmatches you, information that was visible beforehand may become difficult to retrieve.

Save useful identifying details such as the profile, username, photographs and relevant messages. You do not need to archive months of conversation. Preserve enough information to identify the person and the circumstances of the meeting if a problem later needs to be reported.

3. Tell Someone You Trust

Let a friend, relative or trusted person know where you are going and who you are meeting.

For a first meeting, consider sending them the person’s profile name or screenshot, the meeting location and the approximate time you expect to finish. You can also arrange a simple check-in afterwards.

If appropriate, your phone’s live-location features can provide another layer of reassurance.

4. Meet Somewhere Public First

A café, restaurant, shopping precinct, populated park or similar public location generally provides more options than immediately meeting inside a stranger’s home.

Victoria Police recommends choosing somewhere with plenty of people around. Public does not simply mean technically accessible to the public. An empty park late at night is very different from a busy café at lunchtime.

5. Prefer Daylight for a First Meeting Where Practical

A daytime meeting is not mandatory, but it can make a first meeting simpler. Transport may be easier, more businesses are open and there are often more people around.

Victoria Police specifically includes daylight meetings among its measures for reducing risk when meeting someone first encountered online.

6. Arrange Your Own Transport

Being collected from home might sound convenient or romantic, but it gives a person you barely know your address and makes your return journey partly dependent on them.

For a first meeting, independent transport gives you more control. Drive yourself, use public transport, book your own taxi or rideshare, or have someone you know drop you off and collect you.

7. Keep Your Home Address Private Initially

You do not have to disclose where you live before you are comfortable doing so.

Consider what may inadvertently reveal your address as well. Photographs taken outside your home, identifiable apartment balconies, street signs and location metadata can reveal more than you intended.

8. Protect Your Workplace and Routine

Victoria Police recommends limiting personal information such as your workplace and locations you regularly visit. It also advises being conscious of what appears in the background of photographs.

One particularly useful tip is to avoid automatically using exactly the same photographs on a dating profile and public social-media accounts. Reverse-image searching can sometimes connect those profiles together.

9. Do Not Feel Pressured to Move Off-Platform Immediately

There is nothing inherently suspicious about eventually moving from a dating app to WhatsApp, text messages or another service.

The warning sign is pressure to do it almost immediately, particularly when combined with other unusual behaviour.

Scamwatch and Victoria Police both identify rapid attempts to move conversations away from the original platform as something to be cautious about. Remaining on-platform initially may also preserve access to reporting and blocking functions.

10. Discuss Important Boundaries Before Meeting

You do not need to negotiate every detail of a coffee date in advance. But if the meeting has romantic or sexual expectations, communicating important boundaries beforehand can reduce ambiguity.

If somebody reacts badly to a reasonable boundary before you have even met, that itself provides useful information.

11. Keep Your Phone Charged and Accessible

A phone can provide transport, maps, contact with friends and emergency assistance. Arriving with 4% battery and no charger removes an easy safety tool.

If you are going somewhere unfamiliar, consider taking a small power bank or checking your battery before leaving.

12. Stay Clear-Headed Enough to Make Decisions

Alcohol or drugs can impair judgement, mobility and the ability to recognise changing circumstances.

You do not need to abstain from drinking simply because it is a first date, but maintaining enough awareness to make decisions and get yourself home is sensible.

13. Keep Control of Your Drink

Do not leave a drink unattended if you can avoid it. Be cautious about accepting an already-open drink from somebody you do not know well.

If you suddenly feel substantially more intoxicated or unwell than expected, seek assistance from venue staff, a trusted person or emergency services rather than simply leaving alone with the person you have just met.

14. Think Carefully Before Sharing Intimate Images

An intimate conversation online can accelerate quickly. Remember that once an image is sent, you may lose control of where it is stored or how it is later used.

This applies even when someone appears genuine and even after you have met them in person.

15. Never Send Money to Someone You Only Know Online

Scamwatch’s current guidance is straightforward: do not send money, card details, banking information, identity documents or similar sensitive information to someone you only know online.

Emergency stories can be extremely convincing. Common narratives involve medical treatment, travel problems, business emergencies, family crises or temporarily inaccessible accounts.

16. Treat Investment and Cryptocurrency Pitches as a Major Warning Sign

Modern romance scams do not always begin with an obvious request for cash.

A person may instead introduce a supposedly successful investment strategy, cryptocurrency platform or trading opportunity. Scamwatch identifies these as current relationship-scam techniques.

A dating match should not become your investment adviser.

17. Have an Exit Plan

Before arriving, know how you can leave.

This may be as simple as having your own transport and enough money for a taxi. If a friend knows where you are, you might arrange a check-in or an innocuous phrase that indicates you would like assistance.

18. Take Sudden Plan Changes Seriously

A change of café because the first one is closed is not automatically suspicious. Context matters.

But if someone repeatedly tries to change a public meeting into a private one, insists on collecting you despite your objections or becomes angry when you want to keep the agreed plan, reconsider the meeting.

19. You Can Leave Whenever You Want

You do not owe somebody another drink, another hour, physical affection, sex or an explanation because they travelled a long distance, paid for dinner or seemed disappointed.

If you are uncomfortable, leaving is enough.

20. Know How to Report a Problem Afterwards

Keep relevant screenshots, messages, dates, times and locations. Depending on what happened, reporting options can include the platform, Victoria Police, ReportCyber, Scamwatch or the eSafety Commissioner.

Reporting somebody to a dating app is not the same as reporting a criminal offence to police.

How to Verify Someone Before Meeting

Verification should be proportionate. You are not trying to establish somebody’s entire life history. You are looking for enough consistency to decide whether meeting them is reasonable.

Have a Live Video Call

A genuine live conversation can help establish that the person resembles their photographs and interacts naturally in real time.

One declined video call proves nothing. Some people dislike video calls. Repeated elaborate excuses combined with other inconsistencies are more significant.

Try a Reverse-Image Search

A reverse-image search may reveal that a profile photograph has been copied from another person’s website or social-media account.

However, no search result does not establish authenticity. AI-generated photographs, newly stolen images and private photographs may not appear in search results.

Look for Consistency, Not Perfection

Does their approximate age make sense? Does the city they say they live in align with their conversation? Do their photographs look like the same person?

A limited social-media presence is not automatically suspicious. Many genuine people deliberately maintain little public information online.

Be Careful With Verification Badges

Dating-app verification can be useful, but do not interpret a verification badge as a character reference. It may indicate that particular checks have been completed, not that everything someone has told you is true or that meeting them is risk-free.

Never Pay a Third-Party “Safety Verification” Website Sent by a Match

Be cautious if someone says you need to register with a separate verification service, pay a fee or provide credit-card details before they will meet you. Fake verification sites can be used to obtain payment or identity information.

If you want more general guidance on balancing dating safety with getting to know someone naturally, see Brighton Savoy’s 10 Smart Ways to Boost Safety While Keeping the Chemistry Alive.

Online Dating Red Flags Before You Meet

Potential Red Flag	Why It Deserves Attention
They refuse every video call	May make basic identity checking difficult, especially if other inconsistencies exist.
Their stories repeatedly change	Can indicate misrepresentation or a fabricated identity.
They declare intense love immediately	Rapid emotional escalation or “love bombing” is a recognised relationship-scam technique.
They urgently want to move off-app	May remove platform safeguards and can be part of scam behaviour.
They introduce crypto or investments	Romance-baiting investment scams are specifically identified by Scamwatch.
They ask for money or gift cards	This is a major scam warning sign.
They ask you to transfer money for them	You could be drawn into money laundering or money-mule activity.
They pressure you for nude images	May lead to coercion, image-based abuse or sextortion.
They become angry when you set boundaries	A respectful person should be able to accept reasonable limits.
They insist nobody else know about the meeting	Unnecessary secrecy can increase vulnerability.
They repeatedly cancel real-world meetings	Can be a warning sign in long-running fake relationships or romance scams.
They keep changing a public meeting to a private location	This removes precautions you deliberately chose.

How Much Personal Information Should You Share?

Enough to have a normal conversation, but not everything at once.

Someone does not need your precise home address, workplace location, banking information, passport details or regular daily schedule to decide whether they would like to have coffee with you.

Consider the information contained indirectly in your profile as well. A photograph in work uniform can identify your employer. A regular running route can reveal where you live. A car photograph may display your number plate.

Should You Give Someone Your Phone Number Before Meeting?

There is no universal rule. Plenty of genuine people exchange numbers before meeting.

The important point is that you do not have to move away from an app simply because the other person wants you to. Keeping early conversations inside the original platform can preserve privacy and platform reporting functions.

If somebody becomes aggressive because you prefer to keep chatting inside the app for a while, you have learned something useful before meeting them.

Romance Scams and Fake Profiles

Relationship scams can unfold over hours, weeks, months or even years.

Scamwatch warns that scammers may use dating services, social media and gaming platforms to establish romantic relationships or friendships. They can send frequent messages, make a person feel unusually special and build enough trust to introduce financial requests later.

Love Bombing

Intense attention is not automatically fraudulent. Some relationships really do move quickly.

The concern is when unusually fast declarations of love or commitment are followed by isolation, secrecy, financial requests or pressure to obey the person’s instructions.

Fake Emergencies

A scammer may claim to need urgent money for a medical bill, travel problem, business issue or family crisis.

Do not allow emotional urgency to bypass normal financial caution.

Cryptocurrency and Investment Scams

A particularly important modern variation is romance baiting. The relationship establishes trust, then the person introduces an apparently profitable investment or cryptocurrency platform.

Do not invest because an online romantic interest tells you that an opportunity is safe.

Money Muling

Be extremely cautious if someone asks you to receive money into your account and forward it somewhere else. Victoria Police specifically warns against agreeing to transfer money for another person.

Sextortion and Intimate Image Blackmail

Sextortion can begin through dating sites, social media, messaging services or gaming platforms.

A person may encourage sexual conversation, request intimate images or record sexual activity during a video call. The tone then changes. They threaten to send the material to family, friends, employers or social-media contacts unless money is paid.

Scamwatch warns that paying does not necessarily stop the demands. The person may simply ask for more.

If someone shares or threatens to share an intimate image without your consent, the eSafety Commissioner can accept reports of image-based abuse. eSafety advises people being blackmailed not to keep paying or supplying further intimate material.

Tinder, Bumble and Hinge Safety

Mainstream dating platforms offer various combinations of blocking, reporting, profile verification and safety tools. Familiarise yourself with the particular app’s safety centre and reporting options before you need them.

Do not assume that a polished profile, professional occupation, mutual interests or verification badge means normal first-meeting precautions are unnecessary.

A useful approach is to keep initial communication on-platform, have enough conversation to establish basic consistency, save the profile before meeting and choose a first meeting that gives both people an easy way to leave.

Grindr and Hookup-App Safety

Hookup apps can compress the time between first contact and meeting in person. That does not make hookups inherently unsafe, but it can mean there is less time for basic verification.

The eSafety Commissioner maintains specific Australian guidance for LGBTIQ+ people meeting online for a date or hookup. One of its current recommendations is to save app conversations beforehand because some apps can make previous communication inaccessible after blocking or unmatching.

Useful precautions include:

• saving the profile and relevant conversation;
• checking basic identity where practical;
• telling someone where you are going;
• keeping control of your own transport;
• being clear about boundaries;
• remaining able to leave independently;
• being cautious about drugs or heavy intoxication; and
• knowing how to block or report afterwards.

LGBTQ+ Online Meetup Safety

LGBTQ+ users can face some risks that are particularly relevant to identity and privacy, including outing, discriminatory abuse, hate-motivated targeting, location exposure, sextortion and fake-profile setups.

This does not mean LGBTQ+ online dating is inherently more dangerous, nor that every LGBTQ+ person faces the same circumstances.

If privacy about your sexual orientation or gender identity is important, think carefully about information that could connect a dating profile with your full identity, employer, relatives or public social-media accounts.

For current Australian-specific advice, see the eSafety Commissioner’s Meeting for a Date or Hook Up guidance.

Kink and BDSM Meetup Safety

Many kink communities place considerable emphasis on discussing boundaries and consent, but that does not eliminate the risks associated with meeting an unfamiliar person.

For an initial meeting, consider meeting socially before moving into an activity that creates significant physical vulnerability. Discuss boundaries, safe words and expectations clearly.

A person who dismisses agreed limits, discourages safety precautions or argues that “real” members of a particular community should not need boundaries is giving you useful information about their attitude to consent.

Meeting Someone From Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Reddit or Discord

A long conversation on social media can create a strong sense of familiarity. But familiarity is not the same as independently knowing somebody.

Before meeting, ask yourself:

• How long has the account existed?
• Does it have a believable history?
• Have we ever interacted live?
• Is the person’s story reasonably consistent?
• Are they pressuring me to keep the connection secret?
• Have they started asking for money, intimate images or sensitive information?

Gaming and community platforms can also become the starting point for genuine relationships and scams. Apply the same principles regardless of where the first message appeared.

Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree Safety

Meeting a Marketplace buyer is obviously different from meeting a date, but the underlying issue is similar: you may be meeting a person you have never previously encountered offline.

Victoria Police recommends exchanging second-hand goods in public locations and seeing an item before transferring money. Sellers should confirm that funds have genuinely cleared rather than relying on a screenshot supposedly showing payment.

For home collections involving large items, consider keeping strangers outside or in a limited part of the property rather than allowing unrestricted access through your home. Remove documents, keys and valuables from view.

Victoria Police Safer Exchange Sites

Victoria Police currently operates 35 Safer Exchange Sites outside 24-hour police stations across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. They have CCTV, lighting and designated signage and operate 24 hours a day.

Metropolitan locations include Altona, Broadmeadows, Caulfield, Dandenong, Fawkner, Heidelberg, Melbourne East, Melbourne North, Melbourne West, Melton, Mernda, Mill Park, Moonee Ponds, Moorabbin, Mooroolbark, Pakenham, Prahran, Preston, Richmond, St Kilda and Werribee.

You can check the current list directly on the Victoria Police Safer Exchange Sites page.

Is It Safe to Meet Someone at Their House?

A public first meeting generally provides more options if the person or situation turns out to be different from what you expected.

That said, adults sometimes choose to meet privately, particularly for hookups. If you decide to do so, compensate for the reduced visibility with additional precautions.

• Verify basic identity first.
• Save the person’s profile and messages.
• Give a trusted person the exact address.
• Arrange your own transport.
• Keep your phone accessible.
• Remain clear-headed enough to leave.
• Do not surrender your keys, phone or transport independence.

If the person becomes angry because you have told a friend where you are, reconsider the meeting.

What About Meeting Someone at a Hotel?

A hotel can create a misleading sense of security. The existence of reception staff downstairs does not make a private guest room equivalent to a public meeting place.

If you are unsure about someone, meeting first in a busy hotel lobby, bar or nearby café allows you to assess the situation before deciding whether you want the meeting to continue privately.

If you are also arranging accommodation online, be alert to a separate category of fraudulent listings and payment scams. Brighton Savoy has a detailed guide to avoiding fake hotel deals and malicious online booking ads.

Drink Spiking, Alcohol and Drugs

Do not assume you must accept a drink because someone bought it for you. Keep your drink with you where practical and pay attention to unexpected changes in taste, appearance or how you feel.

If you become suddenly confused, unusually intoxicated, extremely drowsy or physically unwell, tell venue staff or someone you trust. If you believe you may be in danger or require urgent medical help, call Triple Zero (000).

Alcohol and drugs can also complicate communication and consent. If someone is too intoxicated to freely agree to sexual activity, do not proceed.

Consent and Sexual Boundaries

Agreeing to a date is not consent to sex.

Going to somebody’s house is not consent to sex.

Entering a hotel room is not consent to sex.

Kissing somebody does not create consent to everything that follows.

Consent can also be withdrawn.

Victoria Police states that Victoria uses an affirmative consent model and that all parties must freely agree to sexual activity. If somebody changes their mind, freezes, says no or otherwise withdraws consent, the activity must stop.

What to Do If You Feel Unsafe During the Meeting

You do not need to establish that somebody has committed an offence before deciding to leave.

If something feels wrong:

• move toward staff or other people;
• contact your safety person;
• arrange independent transport;
• do not allow yourself to be pressured into a second location;
• ask venue staff for assistance if necessary; and
• call Triple Zero (000) if there is immediate danger.

Politeness is not a safety obligation. You can end a meeting because the chemistry is wrong, because the person’s story does not add up or simply because you no longer want to be there.

What If They Keep Contacting You Afterwards?

An uncomfortable meeting can sometimes be followed by persistent messaging, harassment, threats or unwanted attempts to contact you through other accounts.

Preserve evidence before blocking where doing so is safe. Screenshots should include relevant usernames, dates, messages and URLs where available.

Review your social-media privacy settings and consider whether information on public profiles reveals your workplace, home or regular locations.

If conduct escalates into threats, stalking or serious online abuse, seek assistance rather than managing it solely through repeated blocking.

What to Do If an Online Meetup Goes Wrong

The correct response depends on what happened. A disappointing date, financial scam, sexual offence and threat to distribute intimate images require different forms of assistance.

If You Are in Immediate Danger

Call Triple Zero (000).

If You Have Experienced a Sexual Offence

Victoria Police states that reports can be made about sexual offences involving a person first encountered through a dating app or online platform. It also states that there is no time limit for reporting a sexual offence.

Importantly, reporting somebody to a dating app is not the same as reporting the matter to police. Dating platforms are not criminal investigators.

For Victoria-specific information, visit Victoria Police: Dating Apps, Online Platforms and Sexual Offences.

Australians affected by sexual violence or abuse can also contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. The service is available 24/7.

If Intimate Images Are Shared or Threatened

Preserve relevant evidence without unnecessarily redistributing intimate material. The eSafety Commissioner can investigate certain forms of image-based abuse, including threats to share intimate images and sextortion.

Visit eSafety’s online harm reporting service.

If You Have Sent Money or Banking Information

Contact your bank or financial institution immediately. Report the scam through the appropriate Australian channels and preserve messages, transaction information and account details.

See Scamwatch’s relationship scam guidance.

If You Need to Report Cybercrime

Depending on what occurred, online fraud and cybercrime may also be reportable through Australia’s official cybercrime reporting services.

Australia’s Voluntary Online Dating Code

Australia has a Voluntary Online Dating Code designed to improve safety practices across participating online dating services.

The code followed government and industry work on online dating safety and includes commitments involving systems for detecting online-enabled harm, user reporting processes, safety information and transparency reporting.

The Australian Online Dating Code website currently publishes 2026 transparency reports from major services including Match Group, eharmony, The Meet Group, Grindr, Bumble and Badoo.

Participation in an industry code should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every profile is genuine or every meetup is safe. Individual users should still apply normal safety precautions.

You can view the current participating services, safety resources and transparency reports at the Australian Online Dating Code resources page.

Where Australians Can Get Help

Situation	Where to Start
Immediate danger	Triple Zero (000)
Meeting-safety or criminal concerns in Victoria	Victoria Police
Serious online abuse or image-based abuse	eSafety Commissioner
Romance or relationship scams	Scamwatch
Sexual, domestic or family violence support	1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732
Marketplace exchange in Victoria	Victoria Police Safer Exchange Sites

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Safe to Meet Someone From the Internet?

It can be. Millions of people meet online contacts without incident. Reduce avoidable risk by checking basic identity, meeting somewhere public initially where practical, telling someone where you are going, controlling your own transport and avoiding unnecessary disclosure of sensitive information.

How Long Should You Talk Online Before Meeting?

There is no universal minimum. Some people comfortably meet after a few days while others prefer weeks. What matters more is whether you have enough interaction to identify obvious inconsistencies, feel comfortable with the arrangement and put basic safety precautions in place.

How Can I Check Whether Someone Online Is Real?

Consider a live video call, review whether their information is reasonably consistent and use a reverse-image search where appropriate. Remember that no single check proves identity or trustworthiness.

Does a Verified Tinder, Bumble or Hinge Profile Mean Someone Is Safe?

No. Platform verification features can be useful signals, but they should not be treated as guarantees of character, intentions or personal safety.

Should I Video Call Before Meeting Someone?

A short video call can be a useful identity check and may also make the first meeting less awkward. However, one declined call is not proof of deception. Consider the person’s behaviour as a whole.

Should I Give Someone My Phone Number Before Meeting?

Only if you are comfortable doing so. There is no requirement to leave the dating or social platform before meeting. Staying on-platform initially can help preserve privacy and access to platform reporting functions.

Should I Let an Online Date Pick Me Up From Home?

For a first meeting, arranging your own transport gives you more control and avoids immediately revealing your home address. Victoria Police recommends having your own transport to and from an online date.

Is It Safe to Meet Someone at Their House?

A public first meeting generally provides more options. If you choose a private meetup, tell someone the exact address, preserve the person’s profile, arrange your own transport and maintain an independent way to leave.

How Do I Safely Meet Someone From Grindr?

Save the profile and conversation, verify basic details where practical, tell someone where you are going, decide your boundaries beforehand, stay sufficiently clear-headed to make decisions and keep control of your transport. eSafety provides dedicated Australian guidance for LGBTIQ+ dates and hookups.

What Should I Screenshot Before Meeting an Online Date?

Consider saving the person’s profile, username, photographs and relevant conversation. The eSafety Commissioner specifically recommends preserving this information before meeting because blocking or unmatching can sometimes make it difficult to access later.

What Should I Do If Someone Threatens to Share My Nude Images?

Do not keep paying an extortionist or send additional material. Preserve appropriate evidence, stop contact where safe and report image-based abuse to the eSafety Commissioner. Contact police if there are threats of physical harm or other criminal conduct.

What If Someone I Meet Online Makes Me Feel Unsafe?

Leave if you safely can, move toward other people or venue staff, contact somebody you trust and call Triple Zero (000) if you are in immediate danger. You do not need to remain simply to avoid appearing rude.

Final Safety Checklist

Meeting somebody from the internet should not feel like completing a security assessment. Most precautions take only a few minutes.

• Check that the person broadly appears to be who they claim.
• Save their profile before meeting.
• Tell someone where you are going.
• Use a public first meeting where practical.
• Control your own transport.
• Keep unnecessary personal information private.
• Be cautious about money, investments and cryptocurrency.
• Think carefully before sharing intimate images.
• Discuss important boundaries.
• Keep your phone accessible.
• Know how you will leave.
• Do not allow politeness to override discomfort.

Online dating, hookups, social media and online marketplaces have created extraordinary opportunities to meet people we would never otherwise encounter. The objective is not to fear those connections. It is to approach the first offline meeting with the same common sense you would apply to any other situation involving someone you do not yet know well.

A few practical precautions can leave you free to concentrate on the reason you agreed to meet in the first place: finding out whether the person behind the screen is someone you would actually like to know.

Australian information sources used in preparing this guide: eSafety Commissioner, Victoria Police, Scamwatch, 1800RESPECT and the Australian Online Dating Code. Safety information and service availability can change, so readers should check the linked official sources for the latest guidance.

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