Staying Safe on Catholic Dating Apps: A Practical Guide

Protect your personal details

Do not share your home address, workplace, financial information or ID details early on. Keep conversation inside the app until you trust someone.

Watch for red flags

Be careful if someone asks for money, refuses to video call, pushes to move to another app straight away, or becomes aggressive when you set a boundary.

Meet in public the first time

Choose a busy public place, tell a friend where you are going, arrange your own transport and trust your instincts.

Report and block

If someone makes you uncomfortable, report them from their profile or the chat. Reports are reviewed and serious breaches lead to removal.

Romance scams aimed at believers

Scammers know that faithful people tend to be trusting and generous. Common patterns include:

• Quoting Scripture constantly and talking about God within the first few messages.
• Claiming to be a widower, a soldier, an engineer abroad or a missionary who cannot video call.
• Professing love very quickly and talking about marriage before you have met.
• A sudden emergency: medical bills, customs fees, a frozen bank account, a ticket to visit you.
• Asking for gift cards, crypto or a bank transfer, or to keep the relationship secret.

However holy the messages sound, a request for money from someone you have not met is the end of the conversation. Report the profile.

Sources: US Federal Trade Commission: what to know about romance scams

Video call before you meet

A short video call is the easiest way to check that someone is who they say they are. Someone who always has a broken camera is telling you something.

Priests, religious and “ministries” asking for money

Genuine clergy do not raise money through dating or chat apps. If someone claims to be a priest, religious or missionary and asks for help, check with the diocese or order they name before doing anything.