Dating safety guide
How to report a bad date, a fake profile or a dangerous person
Most people who have a bad experience from a dating app never report it anywhere. They block the person, feel strange for a week and move on. That is understandable, and it is also how the same person keeps getting a fresh start. This guide is the practical version: what counts, where it goes and how long it takes.
First, decide what happened
Reports go to different places depending on what the person did. Sort it before you start.
- Unpleasant but not dangerous: rude, misrepresented themselves, pushed a boundary verbally, ghosted after a plan. This belongs in your post-date feedback and, if it broke the app's rules, an in-app report.
- Fake or fraudulent: photos that were not theirs, a false identity, any request for money or a "great investment." In-app report, and a fraud report to the FTC and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
- Threatening or unsafe: stalking, harassment that continues after you ended contact, following you, showing up uninvited, any physical aggression or sexual assault. Police report, and in-app report. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Keep the evidence before you block
Blocking often removes your access to the conversation. Before you block anyone, screenshot the profile (name, photos, age, bio), the messages that matter, and any payment requests or links. Save the screenshots somewhere other than the app. Note the date, time and venue of any meeting. If money moved, keep every receipt and transaction reference.
Then block. You do not have to stay reachable to keep reporting.
Report inside the app where you met
Every mainstream dating platform has a report function on the profile and in the conversation. Use it even if you think nothing will happen; reports accumulate, and accounts are removed on patterns. Choose the most specific reason offered, paste the facts, attach screenshots if the form allows, and keep the confirmation.
If you met the person in real life and connected on DateDish afterward, report them in DateDish too. You can reach us at hello@datedish.com for anything the in-app flow does not cover.
Report fraud to the agencies that track it
Romance and investment scams are organized and repeat. Two reports make a difference even when you lost nothing.
- FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov. Takes a few minutes and feeds the national scam database.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov. Use this if any money, gift cards or crypto changed hands, or if you were directed to a trading platform.
- If you sent money, contact your bank or card issuer immediately and ask about a reversal; speed matters more than anything else.
Our guide to dating app scams explains the patterns so you can name what happened when you report it.
When to file a police report
File one for threats, stalking, harassment that continues after you have asked it to stop, unwanted contact at your home or work, assault of any kind, and theft. You can file in person or, in many jurisdictions, online for non-emergency matters. Bring your screenshots, the timeline and the person's profile details.
A report creates a record even if nothing is charged. That record matters if the person does it again, to you or to anyone else, and it is often required for a protective order. If you were sexually assaulted, the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 can walk you through options, including medical care and reporting, at your own pace and without pressure to decide anything tonight.
The report that protects the next person: your Dish
Official reports are slow and mostly invisible. The fastest way your experience protects someone else is the Dish. After a real date on DateDish, both people can leave honest feedback. You decide whether yours stays private between the two of you or is shared with the community. Either way, it feeds the other person's Trust Score, the multi-factor score that shows how someone communicates, behaves and shows up.
That is the design. A person who pushed past a no, lied about who they were or did not show up does not get a clean slate with the next match. And someone who was respectful and honest earns Trust Badges from real dates, not from a bio. It is accountability both ways, built from what actually happened.
What to do for yourself
Tell one person you trust what happened. Change passwords if you shared anything that could be used against you. Review what the person knows about where you live and work. If you feel unsafe at home, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 can help with safety planning even if the person was not a partner. Take the week if you need it. Reporting is not the same as having to relive it.
Frequently asked questions
Should I report someone from a dating app to the police?
Yes if they threatened you, followed or stalked you, kept contacting you after you asked them to stop, showed up uninvited, assaulted you or took money by deception. For rudeness or misrepresentation, use the app's report function and your post-date feedback instead.
What should I save before blocking someone?
Screenshots of their profile, the key messages, any requests for money or links, and the dates, times and venues of anything that happened. Save them outside the app, then block.
Where do I report a romance scam?
Report in the app, then to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. If you sent money, call your bank or card issuer immediately.
Does leaving feedback on DateDish count as a report?
It is not an official report, but it is the fastest protection for the next person. Your Dish feeds the other person's Trust Score, so what they did follows them instead of disappearing.
