The complete dating app safety guide
Short answers for cancel, fakes, pig butchering, and first dates — then the deep pages.
Read the hubGuides · 18+
Guides for the charge, the catfish, and the first date
How-tos first. Scam checklists second. Updated Aug 19, 2026.
Start here
The hub
Billing
Stop the charge
CancelHow to cancel a Tinder subscription
iPhone Settings → Subscriptions. Deleting the app does not stop Gold.
Read the stepsDeleteHow to delete your Tinder account
Cancel first. Then Settings → Delete account. Hide is not deletion.
Read the stepsBumbleHow to cancel a Bumble subscription
Boost and Premium. Same store path as Tinder.
Read the stepsHingeHow to cancel Hinge+ / HingeX
Settings → Subscriptions → Hinge. Deleting the app does nothing.
Read the stepsTinderGold vs Plus vs Platinum
What each tier buys, and why the long plan is the trap.
Read guidePricingWhat you actually pay
Intro bait, long cycles, auto-renew.
Read guide
RefundsRefunds are rare
What sometimes works within 48 hours.
Read guideSafety
Spot the scam
Fake profilesHow to spot a fake Tinder profile
Reverse image search misses AI faces. Live video is the tell.
Read the checksAI scamsAI dating scams in 2026
Deepfakes, chatbots, fake verification pages.
Read guideHubOnline dating scams
Types, warning signs, and what to do — romance, pig butchering, catfish money asks.
Read hubDefineWhat is a romance scam?
Definition, typical arc, first money ask, and how to spot it early.
Read guideHubRomance scams explained
What they are, first money-ask scripts, red flags, stop / bank / FTC / IC3.
Read hubScams
Dating and romance scams
How romance fraud shows up on dating apps — and what to do before you send money.
Read the guideScams
Romance scam examples
How the first money ask usually sounds — gift cards, crypto, travel, and verify fees.
Read examplesHubRelationship scams
Romance fraud vs a bad relationship — money and crypto asks, walk-away signs, what to do now.
Read guide
ScriptsRomance scam scripts
How to spot the first request for money — hospital, travel, gift cards, crypto.
Read scripts
HubPig butchering scams explained
12 red flags before you send money — stop, bank, FTC/IC3.
Read hubCryptoPig butchering on dating apps
Romance first. Fake trading platform later.
Read guideChecklistRomance scam red flags checklist
WhatsApp rush, gift cards, crypto, refuse live video — calm walk-away list.
Read checklistChecklistOnline dating red flags
Practical 2026 checklist — off-app, money, no video, love bombing, control.
Read checklistVideoIs video chat safe for dating?
Privacy, recording risks, live vs pre-recorded, refuse off-platform money.
Read guideDefineWhat is sextortion?
Webcam and chat blackmail — definition, evidence, do not pay, FTC / IC3.
Read guide
HelpSextortion help
How to deal with online blackmail — stop contact, report, watch recovery scams.
Read playbookVideoWebcam blackmail
After a video threat — save evidence, do not pay, FTC / IC3, watch recovery scams.
Read playbookActionOnline blackmail
How to deal with it — evidence, do not pay, FTC / IC3 / StopNCII, recovery scams.
Read playbookDefineWhat is catfishing?
Fake identity, live-video check, how it differs from romance scams.
Read guideScamCatfishing scam
First money ask, identity theft, stop / bank / FTC / IC3.
Read guideMilitaryMilitary romance scams
Fake deployed soldier or sailor stories — leave, travel, equipment, customs. Never send money.
Read guideElderlyElderly scams
Romance, tech-support, and family-emergency scripts — stop, FTC / IC3, watch recovery scams.
Read guideSeniorsSenior dating scams
Romance fraud on dating and social apps aimed at older adults — not the broad elder hub.
Read guideAppsDating app scams
After a match: WhatsApp rush, fake verification fees, military and crypto asks.
Read guideWebsitesDating website scams
Web profiles: email or WhatsApp rush, fake verification fees, gift cards and crypto.
Read guideCryptoCrypto romance scams
Dating-app warmth, then a wallet or fake exchange. How it differs from pig butchering.
Read guideGift cardsGift card scams
Romance and dating asks for Amazon, Apple, Google Play codes — why they are cash, same-day steps.
Read guideWhatsAppWhatsApp dating scam
Why they rush you off the app, how the money ask arrives, what to do same day.
Read guideAI handbookAI dating scams
Generated faces, deepfake calls, chatbot warmth, then a money ask — same-day steps.
Read guideFacebookFacebook dating scams
Dating matches or Facebook friends, then Messenger — gift cards, crypto, what to do same day.
Read guideTinderTinder scams
Off-app rush, fake profiles, gift cards and crypto — what to do same day.
Read guideVerifyHow to verify someone online
Google / TinEye / Yandex, live video you start, never send money to “verify.”
Read the checksInstagramInstagram dating scams
Love-bombing DMs, WhatsApp rush, crypto and gift cards — plus Snapchat and Discord.
Read guideOil rigOil-rig romance scams
Overseas contractor story, then customs, leave, gift cards, or crypto.
Read guideStoriesRomance scam stories
Composite patterns — military, oil-rig, crypto, gift cards, customs, WhatsApp — so you can walk away.
Read guideP2PZelle, Cash App, and Venmo scams
Romance P2P asks: emergency Zelle, fake Cash App verify, Venmo for customs.
Read guidePost-lossI sent money to a scammer
Hour-zero playbook: stop, bank same day, work the rail, FTC and IC3.
Read the stepsVoIPGoogle Voice scams
Fake local numbers, “verify me” calls, recycled VoIP — live video you start is the check.
Read guidePayPalPayPal scams
Friends & Family, refund bait, and what to do the same day.
Read guideWiresWestern Union, MoneyGram, and wire scams
Romance cash-pickup and bank-wire asks: airport, hospital, military leave, fake refund.
Read guideApple PayApple Pay and Apple Cash scams
Romance Cash asks: verify Apple ID, unlock, customs, tap to pay.
Read guideChecksFake check and cashier’s check scams
Romance overpayment: mobile deposit looks cleared, then the bank reverses it.
Read guidePrizeLottery and inheritance romance scams
Unexpected prize, estate, or insurance payout — then a tax or release fee to claim it.
Read guideSpotHow to spot a romance scammer
Profile, chat, video, and money-ask tells — before cash leaves.
Read the movesBankBank transfer, ACH, and wire scams
Romance account-to-account asks: “send to my account,” same-day wires, fake refunds.
Read guidePetsPet and puppy romance scams
Stranded puppy, shipping, vet, customs, or kennel release — then a fee to “free” them.
Read guideStagesHow romance scams work
Stage-by-stage funnel: bait profile, trust, off-app, first ask, then escalate or pig butchering.
Read the stagesCustomsCustoms-fee romance scams
Duty, shipping holds, airport release — the package is not there.
Read guideLinkedInLinkedIn dating scams
Recruiter or mentor warmth, then WhatsApp — gift cards, crypto, what to do same day.
Read guideRecoveryHow to get money back from a scam
Bank and card same day, crypto and gift cards often gone, watch recovery scams.
Read the stepsPhoneScam phone numbers
Reverse lookup caveats, spoofing, what not to do, carrier / FTC / IC3.
Read guideTextsScam text messages
Romance bait, wrong-number texts, delivery and investment SMS — stay on the app.
Read guideSafetyIs online dating safe?
Honest answer plus habits: live video, money rules, cancel traps.
Read guideSafetyDating scam red flags
WhatsApp rushes, money asks, no live video.
Read guide
MeetFirst date safety checklist
Live video, public place, your own ride home.
Read guideReportReport a dating scammer
Evidence checklist, Tinder/Bumble/Hinge/Match, FTC ReportFraud / IC3, recovery-scam warning.
Read the hubReportHow to report a dating scam
In-app, FTC, IC3, your bank — if money already left.
Read the stepsMore