Online dating safety tips for women in India

Before you start chatting

Good safety starts with your own profile. Share enough to show who you are, and keep out anything that makes you easy to find without your say.

• No identifying details: leave out your surname, workplace, college, building or the street you live on.
• Check your photos: avoid pictures that show your home, your office badge, your car number plate or your children's school.
• Use photos not on your social media so a reverse image search can't lead straight to your other accounts.
• Keep chatting on the app until you trust the person. Your personal number and social handles can wait.

Verify the person and the profile

• Video call first: a short call confirms they match their photos and gives you a feel for how they talk to you. Repeated excuses are a warning sign.
• Reverse image search: one or two of their photos. Pictures that show up under other names suggest a fake profile.
• Check the story: does their job, city and age stay the same from message to message?
• Watch for pressure: rushing to move off the app, asking for photos, or talking about love within days.
• Never send money: however real the emergency or investment sounds. Someone you haven't met should never ask.

Meeting in person

• Meet in public: a busy café, a market, a museum or a mall, ideally in the daytime or early evening.
• Use your own transport: a cab you booked, your own vehicle or the metro. Don't accept a pick-up from home.
• Share your plans: send a friend their name, profile, the place and time, and share your live location while you're out.
• Agree a check-in: a time to message your friend, and what they should do if you don't.
• Stay in control of your drink: order it yourself, keep it with you, and drink as little as you like.
• Keep your phone charged and carry a power bank.

Trust your gut and plan your exit

You never need a reason to leave. If something feels off, say "I'm heading off now" and go. Pay for your share if you like, walk somewhere busy and book your ride from there.

• Agree a code word with a friend, so a text from you means "call me with an emergency".
• Know the nearest busy place: a shop, a restaurant, a hotel reception.
• Don't let them walk you home or to your cab if you'd rather they didn't.

Where to report fraud, harassment and image abuse

• On the app: block and report anyone who threatens you, asks for money or sends unwanted explicit content.
• Online fraud: call 1930, the national cyber crime helpline, as soon as possible if you've lost money. Speed matters for stopping transfers.
• Harassment and cyber crime: file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in, the national cyber crime reporting portal.
• Intimate image abuse if someone threatens to share, or has shared, intimate images of you, StopNCII.org can help stop them spreading on participating platforms, without you uploading the images.
• Keep evidence: screenshots of chats, profile pages and payment details help any report.

None of this is your fault. Reporting protects you and the next person they contact.

Choose apps that check who's there

Verification makes fake profiles much harder. SwipeTrip verifies every member with their Aadhaar and a live selfie, and nobody can see you until you're verified. ID images are deleted after review, and location is shared only during trips you declare, with an emergency contact, check-ins and SOS. It's pre-launch, opening city by city across India.

Questions people ask

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  What is the emergency number in India?

  112. It connects you to police, fire and ambulance services anywhere in India.

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  How do I report online fraud in India?

  Call the national cyber crime helpline on 1930 as soon as you can, and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots and payment details.

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  What can I do if someone threatens to share my intimate photos?

  Don't pay or send more. Keep evidence, report it on cybercrime.gov.in, block and report them on the app, and use StopNCII.org to help stop the images spreading.

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  Should I give my phone number before the first date?

  You don't have to. Chatting and video calling on the app is fine until you've met and feel comfortable.

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  Is it rude to leave a date early?

  No. Your safety and comfort come first, and you don't owe anyone an explanation.