Meeting someone you met online: a 10-point safety checklist

Plenty of great friendships and relationships start in a chat room. Meeting in person for the first time is exciting — and worth a little planning. Here's the checklist.

Before

1. Video call first. Five minutes on video confirms they're who they say they are. Someone who always has an excuse not to is telling you something.

2. Search their name and photos. A quick search and a reverse image search can turn up a stolen photo or a very different story.

3. Choose a public place you know. A busy café or bar, in daylight if possible. Not their place, not yours, and not somewhere remote.

4. Arrange your own transport. Drive, bus or book your own ride, so you can leave whenever you want.

5. Tell a friend. Who you're meeting, where, and when you'll check in. Share your location on your phone if you're comfortable with it.

During

6. Keep an eye on your drink. Order it yourself, watch it being poured, and don't leave it unattended.

7. Keep personal details for later. Your address, your workplace and your surname can wait until you know them better.

8. Trust your gut. If something feels off, leave. You don't need a reason, and you don't owe anyone an explanation. Most bars and venues will help if you ask staff.

After

9. Check in with your friend when you get home, as promised.

10. Consent is ongoing. Agreeing to meet isn't agreeing to anything else. Agreeing to one thing isn't agreeing to the next. Everyone can change their mind at any point — including you.

If something goes wrong

If you feel unsafe, call 111. For anything that happened that you want to report later, call the Police on 105. If someone's harassing you online after a meet-up, block them, keep the evidence, and talk to Netsafe.

On myQR, blocking someone hides you from each other everywhere on the site, straight away. And if anyone shares something about you without your consent, our complaints page is open to everyone — member or not.