How to Recognise “Red Flags” in Online Dating

The start of any dialogue in an app seems innocent, yet it is precisely in those first minutes that it is easy to miss the red flags of online dating. Over a third of fraud cases occur because users ignore the initial warning signals, forgetting basic online-dating safety tips. In this guide we will reveal simple steps that will help protect yourself, since Detto supports safe communication for everyone.

What Are “Red Flags” in Online Dating?

By “red flags” in online dating, we mean clear risk markers: conflicting biographies, instantaneous declarations of love, unwillingness to undergo a video call. Noticing them is important, as a lack of response may indicate possible fraud on dating sites. Below are the key concepts and reasons why attentiveness from the very first line of a message is critical.

The Concept of Red Flags in Online Dating

Red flags in online dating are behaviour patterns that deviate from the norm: perfect, lifeless photos without any everyday shots or friends; blurry or evasive answers to simple questions; strange time zones—when it is evening for you, yet your match claims they have just woken up; overly quick declarations of love; unwillingness to switch on the camera; discord between the biography and public social-media data; as well as sudden requests to move to another messenger, send money or share confidential details about yourself or your family.

Why You Should Pay Attention to Them from the First Message

By ignoring minor inconsistencies, you risk losing money, private photos and, in some cases, a reputation built up offline over years. The slightest awkward phrasing, an inappropriate compliment or a rush to switch to an external messenger are early red flags in online dating that signal possible fraud on dating platforms.

Signs of a Fake Profile on a Dating Site

Fake accounts have become the heart of the largest online schemes, so a thorough understanding of exactly which signs of a fake dating-site profile expose scammers is critical for every user.

Scammers actively invest in studio photo shoots, perfectly edited bios and automated scripts for mass messaging. However, attention to detail—spelling mistakes in the text, repeated template phrases, absence of geotags or friends in group shots—enables you to detect inconsistencies even before the first meeting.

What a Typical Fake Account Looks Like

Overly glossy photos, minimal text, absence of friendly tags—these are classic signs of a fake profile. Criminals often steal content from real people’s social networks, combining photos of different individuals to create a composite image of the “ideal partner.”

Such an account usually contains a mix of staged portraits, where there are no everyday details: no rustle in the clothing, no spontaneous smile. A large number of likes received over just a few days indicates the use of bot networks. Add to that rapid switches to external platforms, refusal of a short video call and generalised answers to specific questions—and you have the full portrait of a scam profile.

Why They’re Hard to Recognise Immediately

Accounts are disguised as “perfect” partners by copying the jargon and interests of their target audience. Only systematic checks and warning indicators in dating apps allow dangerous contacts to be filtered out.
Life is buzzing online, yet almost 70 % of complaints concern fakes. So before you click “Like,” remember the risks.

Top 7 Signs of a Fake Profile:

1. Studio-quality portraits without any candid photos with friends.
2. Immediate suggestion to switch to a private messenger.
3. Profile creation date—within the last few days—yet hundreds of likes.
4. Lots of compliments but no specifics about themselves.
5. Refusal of a video call under various pretexts.
6. Geotags that do not match the claimed city.
7. Slight hint at financial assistance even before meeting.

A match of two or three of these points is a strong reason to end the conversation by following online-dating safety advice. Detto advises you to block and report suspicious users immediately.

Red Flag Number One in Online Dating

Leading experts believe that the number-one red flag in online dating is a financial request. Manipulators exploit sincerity, prompting the victim to act emotionally.

Requests for Money — the Main Sign of a Scam

If your match asks you to pay for a “ticket home” or to cover an “urgent medical operation,” you are facing a classic dating-site scam.

Common Manipulations Used by Scammers

A scammer first gently raises your level of trust by showering you with compliments and feigning deep emotional involvement, then strikes at your sympathy with tear-jerking stories of illness or debt to extract money; thus, detailed knowledge of these typical scenarios and cool-headed critical thinking become your strongest armour in the perilous world of online dating and romantic fraud.

Five Manipulations to Be Aware Of:

1. “I’m stranded abroad and my bank card has been blocked.”
2. “My child urgently needs medicine—only you can help.”
3. “Treat me now; I’ll repay you with interest when we meet.”
4. “I’m $50 short to transfer my documents—save our future.”
5. “Buy cryptocurrency in my name—it’s safer that way.”

Do not transfer funds to anyone you haven’t met in person. Use online-dating safety advice—verify the facts and consult friends. Detto warns: money and romance make a poor combination.

Warning Signs in Dating Apps

They appear in the very first messages. A vigilant user will notice mismatched time zones, aggressive compliments, sudden suggestions to switch to another messenger or delete profiles “for privacy”. Scammers often avoid video calls, citing a “broken camera”, or write pompous monologues without specific answers to simple questions.

If your match actively probes for personal data while refusing to disclose their own, that is an alarming signal. Analyse the tone of the correspondence, repeated templated phrases and the excessively rapid progression of the relationship. Upon detecting several such indicators, set boundaries or end the contact while the situation remains safe.

How Scammers Behave in the Early Stages of Communication

Excessive compliments pouring in from the very first seconds of interaction, combined with an almost immediate suggestion to “delete profiles” supposedly to “preserve our special love from prying eyes”, indicate a subtle yet deliberate attempt at manipulation. Such hasty steps are designed to isolate you from the platform’s protections, deprive you of the opportunity to seek a second opinion, and nudge you towards blind trust. These are clear red flags in online dating that should alert you and make you slow down the pace.

How to Avoid the Trap: Initial User Actions

The first five minutes of conversation set the tone for everything that follows, so observe every nuance carefully: tone, choice of words, response speed, logic of fact presentation, your match’s willingness to ask follow-up questions and share specifics—these small details often reveal a person’s true intentions and honest actions or, conversely, expose concealed fraud right from the start.

Three Actions to Keep You Safe:

1. Perform a reverse image search to verify whether the photo was stolen from another profile; this simple check often uncovers the unpleasant truth about someone else.
2. Ask about local events or news; a real user will respond quickly, whereas a fake will resort to generic phrases or make factual mistakes even in simple details.
3. Refuse to switch to an external chat until you have conducted a video call; this rule filters out most scammers hiding behind stolen photographs.

Following these three steps is an effective filter. Remember online-dating safety advice and stay calm.

Online Dating Safety Tips for Women

Women face unique risks, so online-dating safety tips for women carry special weight. Proper habits reduce the chances of becoming a victim of stalking.

Special Risks for Women in Dating Apps

Social engineering, overt or veiled sexist threats, attempts to control location in real time and monitor movements via “live-tracking” or shared photos — these are the most common attacks directed against women in the digital dating space. 

Scammers often add psychological pressure, blackmail with intimate images, guilt-trips and performative jealousy to dominate their match and gradually restrict her autonomy. They frequently move conversations to less secure messengers and demand immediate meet-ups in deserted or remote locations.

How to Avoid the Trap: Initial User Actions

The steps below are based on live feedback and real stories from women who have faced hidden threats in popular dating apps. They cover both typical psychological ploys used by scammers and technical loopholes that allow attackers to track their victim. Use them as soon as you sense something is off, and do not delay verification. Time works against you in digital scenarios and can cost you peace of mind and money.

Top 5 Actions to Reduce Risks:

1. Enable two-factor authentication so that outsiders cannot hack your profile.
2. Use a separate backup e-mail address for dating.
3. Plan first meetings exclusively in well-populated, daytime locations.
4. Do not post photos with real-time geotags.
5. Inform a friend of your route and meeting time.

By following these steps, you will minimise danger. Regular online-dating safety tips from Detto will help you remain confident.

General Online Dating Safety Tips

In summary, follow the golden rule: verify first, then emotions. These online-dating safety tips are universal across all platforms.

Profile Verification — a must have before meeting

Before arranging an in-person date, a thorough profile verification is mandatory — a must have before meeting. Review the candidate’s pages on popular social networks, compare photographs, post dates and geotags; look for repeated templates or signs of a fake profile such as an overly perfect bio or absence of friendly tags. Suggest a short video call: it will confirm identity, enable you to recognise their voice, analyse facial expressions and ensure that the person truly matches their photos and that their reactions are natural rather than scripted.

Why You Shouldn’t Switch to Messengers Immediately

Don’t rush to move the conversation to external messengers, even if your match insists on “convenience” or “privacy.” The platform’s built-in chat offers advanced blocking tools, automatic filters for suspicious links and the ability to file a complaint swiftly — these are key online-dating safety tips. Only after a video verification and several days of unhurried dialogue, when you are confident in your match’s sincerity, decide whether to exchange private contact details, as data leaks and emotional manipulation most often occur at this stage.