DateableMyth: a verified profile cannot be a scammer
Verification confirms the person matches their photos. It is not an ID check and says nothing about intentions.
Verification confirms the person matches their photos. It is not an ID check and says nothing about whether they intend to scam you. A verified profile can ask you for money just as easily as an unverified one.
What the verification badge means
A verified member has taken a live selfie that a reviewer compared to their profile photos. The reviewer saw a real person and confirmed they match their pictures. That is all the badge means. It tells you the face in the photos is real and the person still looks that way.
Verification is a real-time check, not a background check. When a profile photo changes, verification goes again so the photos stay current. It is meant to catch catfishing, where someone uses old or stolen photos, but it does nothing to check whether they are trustworthy.
What it does not check
Verification does not check a name, identity document, age, income, employment or whether the person is married. It does not check their intentions. Someone verified is as capable of running a scam as anyone else on the site.
- No identity verification: they could use a false name.
- No background check: you do not know who they are or where they are from.
- No criminal history check.
- No intention check: being real does not mean being honest about what they want.
- A verified person can message you, post on the Board and apply for listings just like any other member.
Scammers use verified accounts
Some people get verified then use that badge to build trust before asking for money. A real face makes them seem safer, and that is exactly why they want it. The badge becomes part of their scam, not proof they are safe. A scammer could verify as themselves, then run the same scam on dozens of people using messages, text, or moving to a private app.
Scammers on dating sites follow a pattern 1. They build trust by messaging you over time, declare strong feelings quickly, and give repeated excuses to avoid meeting or video calls. Common excuses are working overseas, serving in the military, or having a business emergency. After weeks or months of messages, they ask for money.
Money requests are the signal
The moment someone asks you for money, the verification badge means nothing. A real member who needs money before meeting you does not exist on this site. Dateable members can message for free. If they cannot meet you without sending you money first, they are not looking for a date.
Be direct about it. Most people will understand immediately. A member who is genuine will reassure you straight away that they have no need for your money. Someone who argues, keeps returning to the request, or changes the subject is showing you they are not serious about meeting.
I've enjoyed talking to you and would like to meet. Before we plan that, I need to tell you that I cannot lend money or send funds to anyone I have not met in person. I hope that is not a problem.
If the other person keeps asking after you say that, stop replying. They are not going to meet you.
Forms that request takes
Scammers ask for money in many forms 2:
- An emergency: a sick relative, a hospital bill, damage to their home.
- Travel: a plane ticket, visa fees, passport costs.
- Work: they need money to "release" a payment that is supposedly coming to you.
- Investment: they have found an opportunity and want you to invest with them.
- Gifts: they ask for gift cards or vouchers instead of cash, which are hard to trace.
- Cryptocurrency: they want you to buy crypto that they can then control.
None of these requests come from a real member on Dateable. Anyone verified or not who asks for money is running a scam.
What to do
If someone asks you for money, stop replying and report the profile immediately. Report and block are one press from any profile. Even if you have already blocked them, you can find them in your blocked list and report them there.
Your report reaches a person here. Dateable reviews it and takes action on scam accounts. The report helps protect other members. Do not feel bad about reporting someone who has not asked for money yet but you are unsure about. Trust your instinct more than their verified badge.
Scammers often message many people at once, so your report may be the second or third one we receive. That makes it more likely the account will be removed quickly.
If you need help spotting a scam before someone asks for money, look for the warning signs. And if you want to get verified yourself, remember: verification is for the other person to see your face is real, not for you to trust everyone else.
Learn more about how verification works and what it is designed to do.
Sources
- Scamwatch (ACCC) (2026). Relationship scams.
- Federal Trade Commission (2022). What To Know About Romance Scams.
