You’re in charge
Mature Dating Safety: How to Meet Singles with Confidence
Dating should feel good. A few habits, and the controls on Sage Dating, help keep it that way.
What you control on Sage Dating
Four things you can check for yourself the moment you join.
Your username, not your name
Other members see the username you choose. Your real name and email address aren’t shown to them.
You decide when, and whether, to share more.
Your nearest town or city
Your profile gives the nearest town or city, never your address or a live location.
People can tell roughly where you are, not where you live.
Blocking
Block any member and they can no longer contact you.
You never have to explain yourself.
Reporting
Report a profile or a message from inside the site if something doesn’t feel right.
You never have to put up with something that feels wrong.
Before you meet for the first time
Meeting someone new is exciting, and there’s no reason to rush it. These steps are worth taking every time, however well the conversation has gone.
- Get to know them on the site first. A few days of conversation tells you a lot, and the block and report buttons are close at hand.
- Try a video call. It takes ten minutes, and a person who is who they say they are won’t mind. If someone always has a reason not to, take note. A video call isn’t proof on its own, though, because video can be faked, so keep the other checks in place as well.
- Choose a public place in daylight. A cafe, a gallery or a garden is ideal, somewhere you know and can leave easily.
- Tell someone you trust. Give a friend or family member the name, the place and the time, and let them know when you’re home.
- Arrange your own way there and back. Don’t accept a lift from someone you have only just met.
- Keep personal details back. Hold off on your surname, address, phone number and workplace until you know the person better.
- Trust how it feels. If something isn’t right, you’re allowed to leave, at any point, without an explanation.
Our first date ideas suit all of the above.
Spotting a romance scam early
Romance scammers are patient, polite and persuasive, and they target people of every age. The signs repeat so often that they’re worth learning by heart.
- They say they love you very quickly, sometimes within days.
- They always have a reason not to meet in person or to appear on a video call.
- They ask you to keep the relationship secret, or to move to another messaging app.
- They tell an emotional story, such as an illness, a stranded trip or a business emergency, that ends with a request for money.
Never send money, gift cards or bank details to someone you have met online, however kind they seem and however long you have been talking. If you suspect a profile, stop replying, block it and report it from inside the site.
If you think you have already been scammed, tell your bank straight away, using the number on your card or by calling 159. Then report it to Report Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud, online or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. Our guide to romance scams for singles over 40 goes through the official advice step by step.
Keeping your private life private
Share what you’re comfortable with, in the order you’re comfortable. A first name is plenty to start with, and your profile can say what you enjoy without saying where you live or work. Keep conversations on Sage Dating until you want to move them, and if someone pushes you to switch to another app straight away, ask yourself why.
Our features page shows what you can control, and our guide to what to expect before you join explains what the terms say about the network the site belongs to.
Answers on staying in control
What can other members see about me on Sage Dating?
Members can see your username, photos and profile text, plus the town or city nearest to you. Your name, email and street address stay hidden.
How do I block or report someone?
Block the member and they can no longer contact you. You can report a profile or a message from inside the site at any time.
Is it safe to meet someone from a dating site?
It can be, if you take sensible steps: get to know them on the site, video call first, meet somewhere public in daylight, tell someone where you’ll be, arrange your own transport and never send money.
What should I do if someone asks me for money?
Don’t send anything. Stop replying, block the profile and report it from inside the site, then read our guide to romance scams to see where to report it in the UK.