Fake 'Dating Safety / Verify You're Real' Site
A match insists you both 'get verified' on a safety site, which is a front to capture your card and personal details or enroll you in charges.
Think a message like this reached you? You can check it right now.
What this scam is
Early in a dating-app chat, a match says they only meet people who are 'verified' and sends you to a 'dating safety' or 'background check' site to prove you are real and safe. The site asks for your personal details and card 'to confirm you're not a bot' or for a small fee, and often enrolls you in recurring charges or an adult subscription. The match is a bot or scammer steering you to the affiliate/scam site. Real dating apps have their own in-app verification and never route you off-platform for a fee.
What it usually looks like
- A match quickly pushing a 'verification' or 'safety' site.
- A site asking for your card 'to confirm you're real.'
- A small fee or 'free' check that needs card details.
- The chat stalling until you 'verify.'
Common warning signs
- Being routed off the dating app to 'get verified.'
- A card required to prove you are 'not a bot.'
- Insistence before any real conversation.
- Sites you cannot independently verify.
Example wording scammers use
“I've been catfished before — get verified here first so I know you're safe: safe-date-verify.net”
“Just confirm you're real on this safety site (free, card needed for verification).”
These are illustrative examples written by ScamSplain, not real messages.
What the scammers want
- Your card details and personal info.
- To enroll you in recurring charges.
- Affiliate payouts for sign-ups.
What to do
- Never enter card details to 'verify' yourself for a match.
- Keep conversations on the dating app; use its own verification.
- Treat off-platform 'safety' sites as scams.
- Unmatch and report.
What to do if you already responded
- Call your card issuer to stop charges and dispute any that appear.
- Watch for recurring subscriptions.
- Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.