Safety guidelines
Romance scams and fake profiles are the biggest risk on any dating app. These are the protections we build in, and the habits that keep you safe.
What we do
- Phone and local-area checks for every member before they can message anyone, and one phone number per account.
- An optional ID verified badge for members who pass a government ID and selfie check.
- Scam warnings in chat. If a message asks for money, gift cards or crypto, or asks you to move to another app, you see a warning.
- Report and block in two taps. Reporting also blocks. A person reviews every report, and we aim to act within 24 hours.
- Zero tolerance for harassment, hate, explicit content, caste-based discrimination, marriage or immigration fraud, and coercion. Violations lead to removal.
- Photo review. Every profile photo is checked before other members can see it.
- Optional video call first. Members who both agree can have a short video call inside Desi, with a text-message code check, before they share contact details or meet.
What you can do
- Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or bank details to anyone you have not met in person, whatever the reason or how urgent it sounds.
- Be careful with stories about being overseas, in the military, on an oil rig, stuck at an airport or in a sudden emergency. They are common in scams.
- Never pay for a visa, immigration papers, flights, customs fees, a wedding or a "gift" for someone you have not met. Real partners and real families do not ask a stranger to pay.
- Video call before you trust a profile. Someone who always has an excuse not to show their face on a live call may not be who their photos say.
- Do not send ID documents, bank details or one-time codes. Do not share biodata or photos of other people without their permission.
- Share with family safely. The private family link shows only what you pick, expires, and can be turned off any time. Only send it to people you trust, and never share a link you were sent.
- If family is involved, meet in a public place with a family member or friend you trust, and take your time. You are never obliged to go ahead with a match.
- Stay on Desi until you have met and trust the person. Scammers push for private channels.
- Check for the ID verified badge, but remember it is not a background check.
- Meet in a public place, tell a friend or family member where you are going, and arrange your own transportation.
- Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, stop and report it.
If you were scammed
Contact your bank right away, then report it where you live, and tell us at [email protected] so we can remove the account.
- United States: FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
- Canada: the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or 1-888-495-8501, and your local police.
- United Kingdom: Action Fraud (Report Fraud) at actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
- India: the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or helpline 1930.
- Elsewhere: your local police and your country's consumer or cybercrime agency.
If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number (911 in the United States and Canada, 999 in the United Kingdom, 112 in India).
Information requests from law enforcement
We cooperate with valid legal process. Law enforcement agencies can send requests, or emergency requests involving a risk of serious harm, to [email protected] with the subject "Law enforcement request". Please include your agency, a way for us to verify you, the account details you know, and the legal basis. We review each request, push back on those that are overbroad or invalid, and may tell the affected member unless the law or the circumstances prevent it. We can preserve data while process is obtained.