Safety Tips

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

Every Citymates member verifies their ID and has their profile reviewed by a person before anyone can see it. CITYMATES DOES NOT CONDUCT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS ON MEMBERS.

ID verification and profile review are not perfect. Someone willing to commit identity theft can also fake a profile. There is no substitute for caution with someone you haven’t met.

Before you meet

• Keep your last name, home address, workplace, and phone number to yourself until you trust the person.
• Keep the conversation on Citymates until you’re ready. Our chat hides contact details early on for a reason.
• Video chat first if you can.
• Trust your gut. If something doesn’t add up, you don’t have to keep talking.
• Stop talking to anyone who pressures you for personal or financial information.

When you meet

• Meet in a busy public place. Don’t meet at your home or theirs on a first date.
• Get yourself there and home. Don’t accept a ride from your date the first time.
• Tell a friend or family member where you’re going, who you’re meeting, and when you expect to be home. Share your location with them if you can.
• Keep your phone charged and with you.
• Watch your drink and don’t leave it unattended. If you suddenly feel much more drunk than you should, ask staff for help right away.
• Leave whenever you want. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

At mixers

• Mixers are held at public venues, and only approved, ID-verified members can attend.
• If anyone makes you uncomfortable, tell the Host or venue staff. You can also report them in the app.
• Venues serve alcohol and set their own rules. Pace yourself and plan your ride home.

Spotting romance scams

Warning signs:

• They ask for money, gift cards, crypto, or help with a “temporary” problem. This is the biggest sign.
• They want to move to text, WhatsApp, Telegram, or another app right away.
• They always have a reason they can’t meet or video chat.
• They bring up investing, especially crypto or a “trading platform,” and offer to teach you.
• They profess strong feelings very fast, or their story keeps changing.
• They ask for photos you wouldn’t want shared.

Never send money to someone you met online, no matter the story. Stop replying, report them in the app, and block them. If you sent money, contact your bank right away and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov. If someone threatens to share private images of you, don’t pay. Report it to us and to the FBI.

Reporting and blocking

• Tap Report on any profile, answer, or chat. You can report someone even after you’ve unmatched or blocked them.
• When you report someone, they disappear from your Discover, inbox, and chat right away.
• Reports are confidential. We never tell someone who reported them.
• We keep reported content as evidence, even if the other person deletes it.
• Our team reviews every report and takes action under our Community Guidelines, up to a permanent ban.
• Block anyone at any time. They won’t see you, and you won’t see them.

You can also email support@citymates.com. If something happened on a date or at a mixer, report it to us even if you’ve already contacted the police, so we can act on the account.

Emergency and support resources

• Emergency: call 911
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788
• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
• Intimate images shared or threatened without consent: StopNCII.org (adults) and Take It Down (images taken before age 18) help get them removed from participating platforms
• Report fraud: ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov