The Journal

Safety and trust

How to tell whether someone online is real, how romance scams actually work, and how to meet a stranger safely for the first time.

How to tell if someone you met online is real
Practical checks anyone can do in ten minutes to work out whether the person you are talking to is who they say they are.
11 August 20264 min read
What to do if you have been scammed by someone you met online
The first steps to take after a romance scam, how to try to recover money, where to report it, and how to handle the shame that stops people acting.
31 July 20264 min read
Meeting an online match in person for the first time
How to plan a first meeting that is safe and still enjoyable, what to arrange beforehand, and how to leave early without any awkwardness.
17 July 20263 min read
The first video call: how to make it work
Why the first video call matters more than any number of messages, how to set it up, and what to talk about so it does not stall.
30 June 20263 min read
How to spot romance fraud — and what to do about it
The patterns romance scammers repeat, the one rule that stops almost all of it, and exactly what to do if it happens to you.
14 January 20264 min read