Before you meet
Use a public place for a first meeting. Tell someone you trust where you plan to be and arrange your own way home. You can change a plan or leave at any point.
A familiar location can help you feel oriented, but no venue or dating service can guarantee safety. Check your surroundings and avoid sharing your home address with someone you have just met.
Keep your information yours
Check photos for home details, work badges and identifying documents. Avoid posting an exact schedule. Do not share passwords, payment details or identity documents in a conversation.
Someone’s health information belongs to them. Do not pass on private messages or profile screenshots to friends or acquaintances.
Money requests are a reason to pause
Do not send money or cryptocurrency to an online romantic contact you have not met. A story about an emergency or an investment can be used to create pressure. The FTC’s romance-scam guidance explains common patterns and reporting options.
Boundaries, reporting and support
Use available block and report controls when someone ignores your boundaries or behaves abusively. Save relevant details, stop direct contact and ask a trusted person for support. In an immediate emergency in the United States, call 911.
Consent must be freely given and can be withdrawn. Shared herpes context does not replace a conversation about sexual health before intimacy. Ask a qualified clinician about questions specific to you; the CDC herpes overview provides general information.