Dating safety in Cyprus: fake profiles, 12 rules

First, stay calm

Dating safely does not mean suspecting everyone. It means giving trust gradually, based on what you see rather than what you are told. Someone with good intentions will not mind meeting in a public place first, or not getting your address on day one. If they do mind, that is already an answer.

The ID check helps a lot: everyone you meet on Cyproom is a real adult with a genuine document. It cannot vouch for anyone's character or intentions, though. That is why the rules below apply to every first date.

How a romance scam works

Romance scams rarely start with a request for money. They almost always follow the same pattern, and once you know it you can spot it early:

Instant closeness. Lots of messages, compliments, "I feel like I have known you for years" within days.
Off the app. They quickly ask to move to WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber, where nobody can report or stop them.
A story that keeps them away. They work abroad, on a ship, on an oil rig, in the army or on an aid mission. A video call or a meeting never happens: something always comes up at the last minute.
The problem. Something urgent: a hospital bill, customs fees, a frozen account, a ticket to come and see you. Always small at first, always "I will pay you back".

There is also the "investment" version, often called pig butchering. They never ask to borrow money: they talk about their crypto or forex profits and offer to show you "their platform". Your first deposits seem to grow, so you put in more; when you try to withdraw, suddenly there are "taxes" or "fees" to pay. The platform is fake and the money does not come back.

One rule with no exceptions

Someone you met on a dating app and have not met in person never asks you for money, codes or investments. If it happens, stop there. The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) warned again about relationship investment scams in February 2026; before investing anywhere, check its register to see whether the firm is licensed.

Warning signs worth noticing

One sign on its own does not mean a scam — some people are simply enthusiastic or shy. Two or three together deserve attention.

They ask for money, gift cards, crypto or "a little help", in any form.
They want to leave the app straight away, before you have properly talked.
They always avoid a video call or a meeting, with ever more complicated excuses.
The photos look like an advert: perfect, professional, and very few.
Their story shifts: the age, job or town do not add up from one day to the next.
They declare great love or talk about a future together before you have met even once.
They pressure you: "now or never", "if you loved me you would…", guilt when you say no.
They ask for intimate photos very early. It is a common route to blackmail (sextortion).
They ask for the code you just received by text or e-mail. With it, they take over your accounts.
They send you a link to "verify" your identity on another website.

If someone asks for money or threatens you

Stop replying
You do not need to explain or "expose" them. Do not send anything else.
Keep the evidence
Screenshots of the messages, the username, phone numbers, transaction references. Do not delete the conversation.
Report them
On the app where you met. On Cyproom a report takes one tap and the other person never finds out who made it.
If you paid, call your bank now
The sooner you call, the better the chance of stopping or recalling a card payment or transfer.
File a complaint
At any police station or with the Cyprus Police Office for Combating Cybercrime. If you are being threatened right now, call 112.

If someone is blackmailing you with photos: do not pay — paying rarely ends it and usually brings new demands. Delete nothing, report them and go to the police. It is not your fault. These scams are often run by organised groups who do it for a living; the shame is theirs, not yours.

12 rules for a first date

A public place with people around
Coffee on a pedestrian street, a walk along a seafront promenade, a museum. Not a home — neither yours nor theirs — the first time. Daytime or a busy early evening is ideal.
Tell someone where you will be
A friend should know who you are meeting, where and until when. You can also share your live location for that hour.
Get there and back on your own
Your own car, a taxi or the bus. Do not accept a lift from or to your home the first time.
Your address and workplace can wait
In Cyprus, a company name and a neighbourhood are enough to find someone in two minutes. Share them once trust is built.
Charged phone, your own money
Be able to call, pay and get home without depending on anyone.
Watch your drink
Order it yourself, never leave it unattended and drink less than usual. If you suddenly feel unwell, ask the staff for help and call 112. And never drive after drinking.
One coffee is enough
An hour is plenty to know whether you want a second date. You can leave whenever you like, with a simple "lovely to meet you".
Make sure it is the same person
The face and first name should match the card. If they do not, you owe nobody anything: leave and report it.
Trust your instinct
If something feels wrong, you do not need proof to leave. Tell the staff, call a friend, go.
No isolated places at first
An empty beach at night or a deserted trail are for when you know each other better. Cape Greco and Akamas, yes — later, in daylight, with other people around.
Talk inside the app first
Keep the conversation on Cyproom until you agree a date: phone numbers stay hidden there, and you can report anything that goes wrong.
Afterwards, tell us how it felt
When we open, after every date we will privately ask “Did you feel safe?”. The other person never sees your answer, and it has real consequences.

Cyprus is small. If you would rather not be seen together by people you know, pick a place outside your neighbourhood or town — but always a public one. You will find ideas for every town in our first date ideas.

What Cyproom does to keep scammers away from you

Most of what follows is already built and switches on together with accounts; the parts about chats and dates come when we open.

An ID check for everyone

Nobody sees you and you see nobody until it is done. The date of birth is read from the document and one document opens only one account. Details in our guide to the ID check.
Photo checks

On our own server, with no outside AI companies: one clear face in the main photo, no nudity, and the same photo on another account goes to a person for review.
A protected chat

Phone numbers, e-mails, links and messaging handles stay hidden until you agree a date. Messages are checked automatically for threats and known scam patterns; nobody reads them unless someone reports the chat.
Report and block

One tap on any card, photo or text, with a reason and, if you like, a few words. Blocking is silent and works both ways: we will never introduce you again.
Automatic pause, human decision

Two reports from independent members within 30 days, or the same phone number or photo as another account, pause an account automatically. Suspension is always decided by a person, with a statement of reasons and a free appeal.
“Hide from people I know”

Add the phone numbers or e-mails of an ex, colleagues or relatives, and we never introduce you, in either direction. We keep only cryptographic fingerprints (hashes), not the numbers, and nobody learns they are on your list.
“Who has seen me” and named photos

You see the name of everyone who saw your card, and every photo carries the name of whoever is viewing it. Sharing another member's photos or messages is forbidden and leads to suspension.

Seen something illegal, even if you are not a member? There is a public form to report illegal content, with a reference number and a reasoned reply.

Who to call in Cyprus

In danger now: 112

If you or someone else is in danger, call 112 (or 199, the police). Both work around the clock and are free; 112 also works from a mobile with no credit.

1460 — Citizens' Line of the Cyprus Police: for anything that is not urgent but that you want the police to know. 24 hours, free.
1440 — SPAVO helpline (Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family): for violence in a relationship, in the family or because of gender. 24 hours, free, in Greek and English.
Online fraud: file a complaint at any police station or with the police Office for Combating Cybercrime. If you sent money, call your bank first.
Cyproom: the report button in the app, or write to info@cyproom.com. For threats and anything involving children, call 112 first.

Frequently asked questions

Does the ID check mean someone is safe?

No. It means they are a real adult, their document is genuine and, if they also took a selfie, their photos are of them. Character cannot be checked with documents, which is why the first-date rules always apply.

Will they find out I reported or blocked them?

Never. Neither a report nor a block is visible to the other person, and even our admin screens do not show who made a report. If a restriction is applied, the statement of reasons does not say where it came from.

Could someone I know see me on Cyproom?

Only if we pick you for each other that week — and if they are on your “Hide from people I know” list, that will never happen. There is no search and no public profile.

What about screenshots?

On a website they cannot be blocked technically. That is why every photo carries the viewer's name, and sharing another member's photos or messages leads to suspension.

Someone is blackmailing me with photos. What do I do?

Do not pay and delete nothing. Keep screenshots, report them and go to the police, or call 112 if you are threatened right now. It is not your fault.

What happens to a report?

A person reads every report, but a single report does not punish anyone on its own. Two independent reports within 30 days pause the account. For threats or anything involving children, call 112 first.

Dating safely in Cyprus: fake profiles, scams and 12 rules for a first date