Guide
How to tell if an online connection is genuine.
No way to be 100% certain about a stranger — but there are real signals worth paying attention to, and real ones worth walking away from.
Good signs
- They're willing to get on a call or video before meeting, without making it a whole negotiation.
- Their story stays consistent across conversations — details don't shift when you ask a follow-up question.
- They're fine with you choosing the time, place, and pace of a first meeting.
- They don't pressure you to move off whatever platform you're comfortable on, faster than you want to.
- They respect a "no" or a "not yet" the first time, without pushing.
Red flags
- They avoid a call or video entirely, with vague excuses every time it comes up.
- They rush — pushing to meet immediately, or to share personal details faster than feels natural.
- Their photos, job, or story feel slightly too perfect, or don't hold up when you ask a specific question.
- They get defensive or guilt-trip you for asking basic safety questions.
- Any mention of money, "just this once," however small or reasonable it's framed.
One red flag alone isn't automatically a dealbreaker — people have real reasons to be camera-shy or slow to open up. But more than one together, or a pattern of avoiding basic verification, is worth trusting your gut over.
Where a real person vetting introductions actually helps
None of this replaces your own judgment, but a service where a real person has already spoken to someone before introducing you removes a layer of the guesswork — see how our process works. It's not a guarantee; it's a first filter, same as everything else here. For the specific patterns scams tend to follow, see dating scam red flags in India.