Dating safety tips

Most people on Zemra are here for the same reason you are. These tips help you stay safe while you get to know someone, online and when you meet.

First dates

Great places for a first date

Choose somewhere busy and public, where you can leave whenever you like. These are hard to beat:

A café
Relaxed, daytime-friendly and easy to keep short. A coffee is a no-pressure first meeting.
A restaurant
Pick a busy place you know. There are staff and other diners around, and you can split the bill.
The cinema
A public, low-pressure plan. Grab a coffee before or after so you can actually talk.
A xhiro
An evening stroll along a busy promenade or main street, the Albanian way. Stay where there are people.

Don't share your home or work address, your daily routine or your children's details with someone you've just met.
Never share bank details, ID documents, passwords or one-time codes, however genuine the reason sounds.
Keep chatting on Zemra until you trust someone. Our safety tools, like reporting and blocking, only work inside the app.
Use Zemra's privacy settings: you can hide your distance and online status, or make your profile private.
Think before sharing photos. Once sent, you can't control where they go.

Look for the verified badge. Every Zemra profile has passed a face scan, but still take your time getting to know the person.
Have a video call before you meet. It's the quickest way to check someone is who they say they are, and that you get on.
Be wary of anyone who always has an excuse not to video call or meet.
If something feels off, search their name and run a reverse image search on their photos.
Ask friends or family what they think. A second opinion helps.

Never send money, gift cards, crypto or anything of value to someone you haven't met, whatever the story.
Watch out for very fast declarations of love, or someone who asks you to keep the relationship secret.
Be careful if someone pushes to move the chat to WhatsApp, Telegram or email straight away.
Ignore 'investment opportunities', requests to receive or forward money, and requests for help with visas or travel costs.
Notice stories that don't add up, and someone who asks a lot about you but shares little about themselves.

Meet in a busy public place for the first few dates, never at your home or theirs.
Tell a friend or family member who you're meeting, where and when. Share your live location if you can.
Arrange your own travel there and back, and keep your phone charged.
Drink responsibly and keep your drink with you. If you leave it unattended, order a new one.
Trust your instincts. You can end a date at any time, and you don't owe anyone an explanation.

Our community spans many countries, so long-distance matches are common. Get to know each other well, over video, before you travel.
Book and pay for your own travel and accommodation, and keep your return ticket.
Give a friend or family member your itinerary and the person's details, and check in regularly.
Keep your passport, money and phone with you at all times.

Consent has to be clear and freely given, and it can be withdrawn at any time.
No one is entitled to more than you want to give, whatever they've paid for or however long you've been talking.
If someone makes you uncomfortable, report them. Disrespect and harassment aren't tolerated on Zemra.

Report them on Zemra
Open their profile or your chat, tap the menu and choose Report. Every report is reviewed by our team within 24 hours, and you can block them instantly.
In danger? Call the police
If you're in immediate danger, call your local emergency number: 112 across Europe, 999 in the UK, and 911 in the US and Canada.
Sent money?
Contact your bank straight away (in the UK, call 159), report it to the police and keep every message as evidence.

Need to report something serious? Contact