Before meeting
- Keep early communication in the app, if messaging is available, until you feel comfortable.
- Never share your home or work address, financial credentials, government-identification number, passwords, or verification codes.
- Be cautious when someone quickly asks to move platforms, creates urgency, refuses a call, tells inconsistent stories, or asks for money.
- Do not send money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, investments, travel funds, or account access—even if the story feels urgent or romantic.
- Use a reverse-image search or video call if it helps you make an informed choice. Do not publish what you find.
- Remember that an identity or photo check is limited. It is not a criminal, employment, financial, or comprehensive background check.
When meeting in person
- Meet in a populated public place and avoid a home or isolated location for a first meeting.
- Tell a trusted person where you are going, who you are meeting, and when you expect to check in.
- Control your own transportation and keep enough battery and funds to leave independently.
- Watch your drink, know your limits, and never pressure another person to drink or use substances.
- Consent can be withdrawn at any time. If you are uncomfortable, leave. You do not owe politeness, an explanation, or a second date.
- Do not bring a date to your home or disclose your exact home address until you have made an informed choice.
Report or block someone
On a proposed match or introduction, tap the ••• menu, then choose Report or Block. You can also go to Profile → Settings → Safety & Support.
- Report sends the concern and any information you choose to include to authorized safety reviewers. The reported person is not told who submitted the report.
- Block prevents future pairing and contact through Handpicked. We do not notify the blocked person.
Save relevant messages, usernames, receipts, dates, and screenshots somewhere secure if you may need them. Do not put yourself at risk to collect evidence. For a concern you cannot submit in the app, email handpickedmatch@gmail.com. Include the account name, date, and a concise description; do not email government ID or intimate images unless an authorized reviewer specifically requests a secure upload.
We prioritize credible threats, stalking, assault, underage accounts, exploitation, trafficking, and financial fraud. We may not be able to disclose an outcome because all members’ privacy and safety matter.
Urgent help
Handpicked does not monitor reports continuously and cannot dispatch help. In immediate danger, call the emergency number where you are. In the United States:
- Emergency: call 911.
- Sexual assault support: RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673), text HOPE to 64673, or use RAINN’s online resources.
- Emotional or suicide crisis: call or text 988, or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
- Domestic violence support: use the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
If you are outside the United States, contact your local emergency number or a trusted local crisis organization. These services are independent of Handpicked, and their own terms and privacy practices apply.
If something happens
Get to a safer place. Consider contacting someone you trust, a local support organization, medical care, or law enforcement based on what feels right and the options available where you live. Preserve evidence only if it is safe to do so. You can report the member to Handpicked even if you do not report to law enforcement.