Identity and verification
'Safety ID' or dating verification link
A match says that, for both your safety, you should get verified through a link they send: 'Hookup ID', 'Meetup ID', 'Safe Dating Certificate'. The site asks for your card 'to confirm your age', then charges you monthly. The FBI issued a specific warning about it in 2024.
What it looks like
- 'I got burned before, so I only meet verified people. It's free, here's the link.'
- A slick verification site that wants name, phone, email, and a credit card.
- 'No charge, it's just to confirm you're over 18.'
- Recurring charges to dating sites you never joined, and a match who disappears.
What is a dating 'safety ID' and is it real?
It borrows the language of safety and turns it against you. Everyone knows verification is a good idea, and asking for a card 'just to check age' sounds like a formality. The card details get you signed up for subscriptions and sold on. There is no such thing as a cross-platform dating safety ID. Real apps verify inside the app and never charge for it.
What to do
- Don't enter card details on any site a match sends. Verify only through the app itself.
- If you already did, call your card issuer, dispute the charges, and ask for a new card number.
- Watch your statements for small recurring charges over the next few months.
- Report the profile in the app, and add the number here.
More in the tips: Dating and new online friends.
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