Meeting someone new safely

Before you meet

Most of first-date safety happens before you leave the house: a few checks that take ten minutes in total.

Check the photos. Report Fraud suggests a reverse image search, using a tool such as Google Images or TinEye, to see whether a match's pictures appear elsewhere online under another name.

Keep the chat on the site at first. Moving to another app is fine once you're comfortable, but don't let anyone hurry you off the platform.

Do a quick video call. Five minutes confirms they look like their photos and that conversation isn't hard work.

Share less than you're asked. Your surname, workplace, home street and daily routine can wait. Report Fraud also advises keeping your social media accounts private.

Know what our checks cover. On Dating Republic every photo is reviewed, but what members write about themselves isn't checked. An optional ID badge shows someone matched a photo ID to a selfie; it doesn't vouch for their honesty. More in our ID verification guide.

Choosing where to meet

Pick somewhere public, staffed and busy enough that you're never alone, near a station you both know. Daytime or early evening is easiest. A museum late, a café or a gallery works better than someone's flat or a quiet corner of a park.

Every indoor venue on our London date ideas page is staffed and within walking distance of a station, and the introverts' list is full of places with an easy exit.

On the day: a checklist

1. Tell a friend who you're meeting, where and when, and agree a time you'll message them.
2. Get there and back yourself. A lift home from someone you've just met tells them where you live.
3. Check your last train before you go, not at quarter to midnight.
4. Pace your drinks and keep your drink with you.
5. Book any minicab through a licensed operator, by app or phone, rather than taking a ride offered on the street.
6. Leave whenever you want. "I'm going to head off, thanks for this" is a complete sentence.

If something feels wrong on the night

Tell the staff. Many UK bars and pubs take part in Ask for Angela: ask at the bar for "Angela" and staff will help you leave discreetly. In an emergency, call 999; on a mobile, if you can't speak, stay on the line and press 55 when prompted.

Drink spiking means someone giving you alcohol or drugs without your knowledge, usually in a drink. If you or your date suddenly feel very drunk or unwell after very little alcohol, tell staff, stay with someone you trust and get medical help. Report it to the police quickly: police.uk says some drugs leave the body within about 12 hours.

Money: the line that matters most

Romance fraud usually looks like a relationship for weeks before it looks like fraud. Report Fraud's warning signs include:

• requests for money, gift vouchers, cryptocurrency or "investment" opportunities, often with a sad or urgent story;
• pressure for urgency or secrecy, including being asked not to tell anyone about them;
• profile photos that turn up elsewhere online;
• attempts to cut you off from friends and family.

The rule is simple: never send money to someone you've met online, however real it feels. Report Fraud is clear that romance fraud is never the victim's fault. Our guide to who pays on a first date covers the normal side of money on a date.

Where to report

If you've lost money, watch out for anyone offering to get it back for a fee. Report Fraud warns this is a common follow-up scam.

After the date

If it went well, our guide to texting after a first date covers what comes next. If it didn't, you can simply stop replying, and report anything that crossed a line.