Safe Dating Guide

How Merydia will protect you

Most of the risk in online dating comes from one thing: being approached by someone you know nothing about. On Merydia, anyone you hear from has already been verified and reviewed by our team — before the introduction, and before any contact. The following describes how the service will work when it opens.

Every member will verify their identity with a government-issued document before their profile goes live. This will not be optional and will apply without exception. Nobody will join Merydia anonymously.

Every profile will be reviewed by a real person before any introduction is made. Our team will read every profile and check that the information is consistent and credible.

Nobody will be able to browse your profile, search for you, or message you. The only way anyone will meet you here is through an introduction we have made — after verifying both of you. There will be no cold-approach vector because there will be no way to approach anyone you have not been matched with.

Once the service is live, we will monitor conversations for suspicious patterns and take action on every report we receive. No system catches everything — if something feels wrong, trust that instinct and tell us immediately.

No money will ever change hands between members. Merydia will never ask you to send money to another member, and no legitimate match will either. If anyone asks you to transfer money, buy gift cards, or invest in anything — stop the conversation and report it immediately.

Dating is worth doing carefully

Meeting someone new is exciting. It can also bring up feelings you were not expecting — hope, vulnerability, anxiety, disappointment. All of that is normal. This guide exists because we want your experience on Merydia to be genuinely good for you, not just in the moment, but over time.

Take it at whatever pace feels right for you.

Before you meet

Trust your instincts — they are data. If something feels off about a conversation or a profile, pay attention to that feeling. You do not owe anyone an explanation for stepping back.

Keep personal details private until you are ready. There is no rush to share your home address, workplace location, phone number, or financial details. A genuine connection will respect that.

Do a quick search. Once you and a match have both accepted an introduction, we will share your full names with each other — look up your match before meeting. Reverse image search is free and takes thirty seconds. If their photos appear under a different name elsewhere, take note. Please keep what you learn about someone else's identity between the two of you.

Tell someone where you are going. Share the name of your match, the venue, and your expected return time with a friend or family member before a first meeting.

Plan your own transport. Drive yourself, catch a rideshare, or use public transport. Having your own way home means you can leave whenever you want.

Romance scam warning signs

Romance scams are more common than most people expect, and they are particularly targeted at people in their fifties, sixties and seventies. Knowing the patterns makes them easier to recognise.

Pressure to move off-platform quickly. A genuine connection is happy to keep talking here. Pressure to switch to WhatsApp, Telegram, or another platform — especially early in a conversation — is a recognised scam signal.

A story that escalates fast. Intense declarations of connection within days, claims of love before you have met, or a sense that this relationship is unusually special and moving unusually quickly. These can be genuine, but they are also standard tactics designed to lower your guard.

An identity that does not add up. Military deployment overseas, offshore contract work, a recent bereavement used to explain why they cannot meet, a professional profile that seems inconsistent. None of these is conclusive on its own, but combinations matter.

Any request involving money. This is the definitive warning sign. Stop the conversation and report it immediately. This applies even if you have been talking for weeks and feel you have built a real connection — that connection can be engineered. Do not send money. Do not buy gift cards. Do not share financial account details.

Pressure or urgency. Scammers often create time pressure: "I need to know now," "If you really trusted me you would." Healthy relationships do not require you to act before you are ready.

If you suspect you have encountered a scam — on Merydia or anywhere else — report it to us immediately and to Scamwatch. If you have lost money, contact IDCARE, Australia's free national identity and cyber support service.

At a first meeting

Meet in a public place for the first few meetings. Cafés, restaurants, and bars work well. Avoid private locations until you know someone well.

Stay in control of your drinks. Do not leave your drink unattended, and do not accept drinks from someone you do not yet trust.

It is okay to leave. If you feel uncomfortable at any point — for any reason, or no reason — you can leave. You do not need to justify it or be polite about it. Your safety comes first.

Let the conversation be two-directional. Healthy connections involve mutual curiosity. If the conversation is consistently one-sided, or you feel you are being assessed rather than known, that is worth noticing.

Looking after yourself emotionally

Rejection is part of the process — and it is survivable. Not every introduction will lead somewhere. The weekly introduction model means there is always a next week.

Take breaks when you need them. Dating can be emotionally tiring. It is okay to pause your account and come back when you are in a better place.

Be honest with yourself about what you are looking for. Clarity about your own intentions — and staying honest about them with your matches — makes for better outcomes for everyone.

If something goes wrong

If you feel unsafe right now, call 000.

If a match has asked you for money or you suspect fraud: Report it to us immediately using the report function, and to Scamwatch at www.scamwatch.gov.au. If you have been targeted, contact IDCARE at www.idcare.org or call 1800 595 160.

If you have experienced abuse, harassment, or have received threatening or sexual content you did not ask for: You can report to the eSafety Commissioner at www.esafety.gov.au/report.

If your complaint to Merydia is not resolved to your satisfaction within 30 days: You have the right to escalate directly to the eSafety Commissioner at www.esafety.gov.au/complaints. We will always tell you about this right if your complaint remains open.

To report a concern: Email us at safety@merydia.app. Once the service is live, you will also be able to use the report function within the service. We take all reports seriously and respond promptly.