Safety Tips

Last updated: 12 August 2026

Most people here are exactly who they say they are. A few are not. These are the things that actually keep people safe — not a disclaimer, and worth five minutes.

We do not run criminal record checks on members. Nobody on this platform has been vetted. Please read that again, because a lot of people assume otherwise.

Before you meet

Do your own check

Reverse image search their photos. Stolen photos are the single most common sign of a fake profile. It takes ten seconds.
Video call before meeting. Someone who will not video call after weeks of messaging is telling you something. A real person will not mind.
Look for inconsistencies— a job that keeps changing, a city that shifts, stories that do not quite line up.

Move slowly

Anyone rushing you is doing it for a reason. Be wary of someone who declares strong feelings unusually fast, wants to move to another app immediately, or pushes to meet privately before you have met at all. Genuine interest survives a slower pace.

Money — the most important section

No one legitimate will ever ask you for money.

Not for a flight. Not for a medical emergency. Not for customs fees on a package. Not for an investment that is closing tonight. Not for a phone bill so they can keep talking to you.

Romance fraud almost always follows the same shape: weeks of attentive, warm conversation, an emotional connection, then a crisis that only money can solve. The connection is manufactured to make the request work.

Never send money, gift cards or cryptocurrency to someone you met online
Never share bank details, card numbers or one-time passcodes
Never accept money to transfer onward — that is money laundering, and you would be the one prosecuted
Never invest on the advice of someone you met on a dating platform
Never let anyone install remote access software on your device

If someone asks, report them. You will not be the first person they asked.

Meeting in person

Where and when

Meet in public, somewhere busy — a café, bar or restaurant
Get yourself there and back. Do not be picked up, and do not give out your home address
Stay in public for the first few dates. Not their home, not yours, not an isolated place
Daytime for a first meeting, if you can

Tell someone

Tell a friend who you are meeting, where, and when you expect to be back
Share your live location with them for the evening
Arrange a check-in message, and agree what they should do if it does not arrive

While you are there

Watch your drink. Take it with you; do not accept one you did not see poured
Stay sober enough to make good decisions and get yourself home
Keep your phone charged
If you feel uncomfortable, leave.You owe no one an explanation. Tell venue staff if that would help — they take this seriously

Trust the feeling. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Leaving early and being wrong costs you one awkward evening. Ignoring it can cost far more. Nobody has ever regretted leaving a date that felt off.

At Lounge & Mingle events

Bring photo ID — the age requirement is enforced at the door
Check in with event staff, and find them if there is a problem
You are among strangers, so the rules above still apply
Do not leave with someone you have just met — arrange a proper date instead
Report anything concerning to staff at the event, not just afterwards

Online

Protect your information.Do not put your surname, workplace, home area, children's school, or daily routine in your profile or early messages. Details that seem harmless individually add up to enough to find you.

Be aware of what Nearby shows. If you turn on Nearby discovery, other members who have also turned it on can see your first name, the first letter of your surname only, your job title and occupation sector, along with a deliberately blurred location. Your full surname is never sent to them. If that is still more than you want visible, leave Nearby off — it is off by default.

Never share intimate images.They can be screenshotted, and sextortion is a real and growing crime. If it happens to you, do not pay — report it. Paying does not stop it.

Keep conversations in the app until you trust someone. Our reporting and moderation only work where we can see what happened.

Genotype and health information

Some members share genotype and blood group, and for many people that compatibility genuinely matters. Two things worth saying plainly:

It is not verified. People type it in themselves. We do not check it, and we have no way to.

Never make a medical decision based on a profile field. If genetic compatibility matters to your plans, both of you should get proper medical testing and speak to a doctor or genetic counsellor.

And if someone shares theirs with you, treat it as confidential. It is health information.

If something goes wrong

Immediate danger — call the emergency services first. UK: 999. US: 911.

Then tell us so we can act on the account: safety@loungeandmingle.com, or use the in-app report on any profile, message or event.

Reports are confidential. Report even if you are unsure— you do not need proof, and a pattern of small reports is often how we catch someone before they do real harm.

Other help

UK — Romance fraud	Action Fraud, 0300 123 2040, actionfraud.police.uk
UK — Rape and sexual assault	Rape Crisis, 0808 500 2222
UK — Domestic abuse	National Domestic Abuse Helpline, 0808 2000 247
UK — Intimate images	Revenge Porn Helpline, 0345 6000 459
US — Fraud	FTC, reportfraud.ftc.gov
US — Sexual assault	RAINN, 800 656 4673
US — Domestic violence	National DV Hotline, 800 799 7233

Blocking

You can block anyone, at any time, for any reason. You do not need to explain, and they are not told. Blocking is mutual and immediate: they cannot see you, message you, or find you in Nearby.

If someone returns under a new account, report it— evading a block is a serious breach and we will remove them.