If you are about to meet someone from the internet in person for the first time, we put together practical steps for before, during and after the meetup, along with where to turn for official help.
- Never send money, gift cards or crypto to someone you have not met in person; this is the most consistent warning across the sources.
- Meet in a busy, well-lit public place the first time, share your plan with someone you trust, and arrange your own transportation.
- In immediate danger, call your local emergency number. For support and guidance, look for your local official helplines and reporting channels.
An honest note first: there are no guarantees
Meeting in person after getting to know someone online usually goes fine. Still, no list of precautions can guarantee how a meetup will turn out. The US nonprofit RAINN's guide to safer dating says so plainly: nothing anyone does or does not do can prevent another person's harmful behavior, and safety cannot be guaranteed. A few habits, however, can help you reduce risk and feel more comfortable.
This article is not meant to scare you; it is meant to give you a checklist. Who you meet, when and where is entirely your decision. You also do not have to rush: according to RAINN, someone who pressures you to meet quickly is showing a warning sign.
Before you meet: is the other person consistent?
RAINN suggests researching the person you matched with online and cutting off contact if you find anything suspicious. It also reminds you that if a profile looks incomplete or too perfect, you could be dealing with a bot or a scammer.
You can check a profile photo with a reverse image search; for example, in Google Images you can click the camera icon and upload the photo. According to the FTC, if the photo turns up under a different name or with details that do not match, that is a warning sign. Finding no results, on the other hand, should not be treated as reassurance on its own.
Someone who keeps finding excuses not to meet matches a sign listed by the FTC and Our Watch. Watch for these signs:
Be wary of stories that ask for money
The FTC writes that scammers ask for money with reasons such as hospital bills, plane tickets, visa fees or being in trouble, and that they ask for payment in hard-to-reverse ways such as wire transfers, gift cards, money transfer apps or crypto. Our Watch's information sheet gives emotional stories as examples, such as a sick relative or being stranded abroad. It also notes that being asked to pass money that arrives in your account on to someone else can be a sign of fraud and may amount to a crime.
In short, however convincing someone is, the soundest rule is not to send money or financial details to a person you have not met face to face. RAINN also recommends being careful with links and attachments sent by someone you have only met online.
Choose the place, protect your personal information
For first meetups, RAINN suggests a busy, well-lit place such as a cafe, restaurant or park. The same guide also advises staying away from isolated places on the first few dates and not inviting the other person to your home, or going to theirs, until trust has been established. It also recommends not sharing your home address, phone number, workplace and daily routine until trust is built.
As a general suggestion, keeping the first meetup short and simple makes it easier to leave if you need to.
Tell someone and share your plan
RAINN recommends telling a trusted friend or family member where you are going, who you are meeting and when you will be back. Using a location-sharing app so that someone you trust can see where you are during the meetup is on the same list. The guide also gives the example of agreeing on a code word or emoji with a friend who will call you with an excuse if you want to end the meetup early.
As a general suggestion, you can also share the other person's name, profile link and photo with a friend, and keep your phone charged.
During the meetup
RAINN recommends arranging your own transportation: your own vehicle, a ride you book, or a trusted friend who drops you off and picks you up. It also says not to let the other person drive you home and not to invite them into your vehicle. Avoiding excessive alcohol and never leaving your food or drink unattended are also among the same guide's tips.
If someone pushes your boundaries, pressures you or makes you uncomfortable, you can leave. RAINN notes that when your safety or comfort is at stake you do not have to be polite: you can make an excuse or simply get up and go. The guide also mentions carrying a little cash so you can pay and leave right away, and asking venue staff for help if needed.
If something goes wrong: who to contact
In immediate danger, call your local emergency number. Emergency numbers and the helplines that offer support and guidance differ from country to country, so look up the official ones for where you live before you need them.
If you sent money, the FTC recommends contacting the company or bank you paid through right away to ask for a refund, cutting off contact with the other person, talking to someone you trust, and reporting the scammer to the platform where you met. As a general suggestion, you can also report the incident to your local police. RAINN also stresses that someone who experienced pressure, fear or harm on a date is not to blame for it. For legal or medical assessment, turn to the relevant professionals; this article only points you in a direction.
A short note about Who In
Who In is in preparation; when it opens, it will show only profiles that people have chosen to make visible themselves. Who you meet is your own decision and responsibility, and this guide gives no safety guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if the other person keeps postponing the meetup?
The FTC lists people who constantly find excuses not to meet among the warning signs of romance scams. Waiting without hurrying, without sharing money or personal information, and cutting off contact if necessary can be a reasonable approach; the decision is yours.
Does a friend need to be nearby during the first meetup?
There is no requirement. RAINN recommends sharing your plan with someone you trust, sharing your location, and setting up a signal to end the meetup early. Having someone nearby can be thought of as an optional extra precaution.
Where can I find official help lines and reporting channels?
These differ by country, so check your own government's official pages, your local police and your national consumer-protection agency. In the United States, the FTC's romance scam page explains how to contact your bank and report a scammer to the platform. Features and contact details can change, so check the official pages for current information.
I sent money. What should I do now?
The FTC recommends contacting the company or bank you paid through right away to ask for a refund and cutting off contact with the other person. As a general suggestion, you can also report it to your local police.
When should I call the emergency number?
If there is an immediate danger, call your local emergency number. Helplines that offer guidance and support differ by country; if you are not sure, calling the emergency number first is the safer choice.
Sources and review method
Sources were opened and read on October 31, 2026; this guide does not guarantee safety, and phone numbers, app features and official pages can change over time. The Turkey-specific official sources and emergency numbers in the original were removed and replaced with a neutral statement; the remaining sources were not re-fetched. Translated and adapted for an international audience on 2026-11-03.
- RAINN: Tips for Safer Dating, Online and In-Person (last updated May 31, 2026) — No guarantees can be given, meeting place, sharing your plan, location sharing, transportation, alcohol, code word, cash, leaving, protecting personal information, staying in the app, not sending money, a person who was harmed is not to blame.
- FTC: What You Need to Know About Romance Scams — Moving off the platform, building trust quickly, excuses for not meeting, types of money requests, reverse image search, cutting off contact, contacting the bank, reporting to the platform.
- Our Watch (UK): Romance Fraud Information Sheet (2020) — How reverse image search works, requests to leave the app, requests to keep the relationship secret, emotional stories, requests to pass on money received in your account.
Last checked: October 31, 2026. If you spot a mistake, report a correction.