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Online Dating Safety: Date With Confidence, On Your Terms

Good habits make for good dates. Keep your details to yourself, spot a scam early and meet when you are ready, not before.

You decide what people get to see

These four controls come with every membership, from Classic to VIP Plus, in all four sections of Encounters.uk.

  • A username, not your name

    Other members know you by the username you choose. Your real name and your email address stay off your profile.

    For you: you say who you really are when you are ready, and not a moment before.

  • Your nearest town, not your address

    Your location shows as the nearest town or city. It never shows your address or where you are right now.

    For you: people can tell you are close by without knowing where you live.

  • Block anyone

    Block a member and they can no longer contact you. You do not need to give a reason.

    For you: a conversation you are not enjoying ends the moment you say so.

  • Report a profile or a message

    If a profile or a message feels wrong, you can report it from inside the site.

    For you: when something worries you, you can flag it without leaving Encounters.uk.

Make your first date a good one

A first date should be exciting, not nerve-racking. These six habits take care of the sensible part, so you can enjoy the rest.

  1. Video chat first. Once you have been talking for a while, suggest a short video call before you meet. Five minutes on camera shows you the person matches their photos, and whether the conversation flows. Someone who always has an excuse not to is telling you something.
  2. Meet somewhere public. Pick a busy café, pub or bar for the first meeting, somewhere you know and can leave easily. Not your home, and not theirs.
  3. Tell a friend. Let someone know who you are meeting, where and when. Share the person’s username and agree to text them once you are home.
  4. Sort your own transport. Drive, take the bus or book your own taxi, so you arrive and leave on your own terms. Turn down a lift from someone you have only just met.
  5. Stay sober enough to decide. Have a drink if you fancy one, but keep a clear head, buy your own drinks and keep your glass with you.
  6. Leave whenever you like. If something feels off, go. You do not owe anyone an explanation, and anyone worth a second date will understand.

Spot a romance scam before it costs you

Romance fraud plays on feelings, not foolishness, and anyone can be targeted. A scammer builds a bond over days or weeks, with lots of attention and compliments, and then a story turns up that ends in a request for money. The first ask can be small. Sometimes it arrives dressed up as a chance to invest together.

A few rules beat almost every version of it:

  • Never send money, gift cards or cryptocurrency to someone you have not met in person, however urgent or loving the reason.
  • Be wary of a quick move to WhatsApp or text. Pushing to leave the site within a few messages is a classic sign.
  • Follow the story to its end. A stranded traveller, a hospital bill, a parcel stuck at customs, a job overseas that pays out next month: if it finishes with money, walk away.
  • Notice who will not appear on camera. A broken webcam or a bad signal, every single time, is a warning.
  • Keep bank details, codes and passwords to yourself. Nobody you date needs them.

How to report fraud in the UK

If you think you are being targeted, stop replying and send nothing. Report the profile from inside the site and block the person. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report the fraud to Report Fraud, the national service that took over from Action Fraud in December 2025. Call 0300 123 2040, the same number Action Fraud used, or report online at reportfraud.police.uk. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. If money has already gone, ring your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card.

Casual, consensual and careful

Casual dating is meant to be fun, and a little planning keeps it that way. If you are meeting through Casual Encounters or Milf Encounters, add these to the first-date habits above.

Protection and consent

Talk about protection before you meet, bring condoms yourself and do not let anyone talk you out of them. Sexual health clinics across the UK offer confidential testing, so regular check-ups are easy to fit in.

Consent is a clear yes from both of you, every time. Agreeing to meet is not agreeing to sex, saying yes to one thing is not saying yes to everything, and either of you can change your mind at any point. Someone too drunk to decide cannot consent.

Explicit photos and the law

Once an intimate photo leaves your phone, you lose control of where it goes. Never send one to someone you have not met, think hard even when you have, and keep your face and anything that identifies you out of shot.

In England and Wales it is a crime to share an intimate photo or video of someone without their consent, or to threaten to. Sending someone an unwanted picture of genitals, known as cyberflashing, has been an offence there since January 2024. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws against sharing intimate images without consent. If it happens to you, report it to the police; the Revenge Porn Helpline supports adults across the UK.

Dating safety: your questions answered

What should I do if a profile looks fake?

Go with the feeling and slow down. Common signs include photos that look like a magazine shoot, a profile with almost nothing written on it, replies that ignore what you said and an early push to move to WhatsApp. Never send money or personal details, report the profile from inside the site, and block it if you would rather not hear from them again.

When should I give someone my phone number?

When you have chatted for a while and you feel ready, not because someone keeps asking. Until then, keep talking on Encounters.uk, where you can block or report anyone at any time.

Someone I am talking to wants money. What now?

Do not pay, whatever the reason. Talk it through with a friend, report the profile, and contact Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or Police Scotland on 101 if you live in Scotland. If you have already paid, call your bank immediately.

Is Encounters.uk legit?

Encounters.uk has been online since 2014 and runs on the HubPeople dating platform. Our guide to whether Encounters.uk is legit answers the questions people ask before they join, and our features page lists exactly what each membership includes.

Can I keep my dating life private?

Yes. Other members see a username and a nearest town rather than your name or address. Your surname, your number and where you work are yours to share if and when you choose.

Meet someone new, on your terms

Choose your section, set up your profile and say hello whenever you are ready.