Join free →
Safety

Online dating safety tips for adults

Most people you meet online are exactly who they say they are. These habits help with the ones who are not. None of this is legal advice; trust your instincts and local laws.

Protect your privacy first

  • Use a first name or nickname as your display name. Leave your surname, workplace and home address out of your profile and ads.
  • Pick photos that do not show your street, car plate, or anything that identifies where you live or work.
  • Keep the conversation in Sparks DMs until you are comfortable. If you share a number, consider a secondary messaging account.
  • Anything you post in a public ad can be copied. Only include contact details you are happy for other adults to see.

Spot scams and red flags

  • Any request for money — gift cards, crypto, "verification fees", travel money, "deposits" — is a scam. Stop replying and report it.
  • Someone who refuses to video chat, keeps changing their story, or pushes you to move off-platform very fast.
  • Links to "verify you are not a cop" or "safety check" sites. Sparks never asks you to verify anything on another website.
  • Threats to share your photos or messages (sextortion). Do not pay. Save evidence, block, report, and contact local police or Take It Down / StopNCII for help removing images.

Meeting in person

  • Meet somewhere public for the first time and get there on your own.
  • Tell a friend where you will be and who you are meeting; share your live location if you can.
  • Stay in control of your drink and your ride home. You can leave at any time, for any reason.
  • Talk about boundaries, consent and protection before things get physical. Consent can be withdrawn at any moment.

Reporting on Sparks

Use Report on a profile card, in a DM (menu ⋮) or on any personal ad. Reports go straight to the admin (shown as The Algorithm with an ADMIN badge), who can remove content and ban accounts. If anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services first.

Zero tolerance

Anything involving minors, trafficking, coercion or exploitation is removed and the account banned. In the US you can also report child exploitation to the NCMEC CyberTipline and suspected trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.