Dating on Telegram: Bots, Fake Profiles and Safety Tips

Some Telegram groups promise local dates, “verified” profiles or no-strings chat. A few are genuine spaces where adults talk to each other, but many exist mainly to harvest your phone number, push you towards a paid service or set up a scam. This guide explains how these traps work, how to recognise a fake profile, what to do if someone tries to blackmail you, how to lock down your account and where to get help in the UK and the United States.

Dating groups: where the links really go

A group billed as a place to meet people is sometimes just a corridor. Messages are rare or repetitive, the “members” all post the same kind of photo, and every conversation ends with a link. The usual destinations:

• a bot that asks a few questions, then wants your phone number or location to “find compatible matches”;
• an outside website that requires a paid sign-up, sometimes dressed up as a cheap “verification”, which turns out to be a recurring subscription;
• an app to install from outside the official stores, requesting permissions that have nothing to do with what it does;
• a private account that opens with a very warm message but never answers your questions directly.

A Telegram bot can show a button to share your contact: tap it and the bot receives your phone number. No honest matchmaking service needs it just to show you profiles. Before entering card details on a website, read the cancellation terms and check whether you are making a one-off payment or starting a subscription.

Fake profiles and romance scams

Warning signs

• a small number of highly polished photos that look like a catalogue shoot;
• declarations of strong feelings after only a few days of chatting;
• a job that explains the distance: posted overseas, working offshore, serving in the military;
• video calls that are never possible, a “broken” camera, meetings cancelled at the last minute;
• pressure to leave the group for a private chat, then for another app.

When money comes into it

Sooner or later a problem appears: medical bills, a parcel stuck in customs, a plane ticket to come and see you, or an “investment opportunity” to share. The money is requested in ways that are hard to get back, such as cryptocurrency, gift cards or international transfers. The rule has no exceptions: never send money, codes or ID documents to someone you have not met in person, however real the connection feels.

Sextortion: what to do if you are blackmailed

Sextortion often starts with a conversation that drifts towards intimate photos or video. Shortly afterwards, the other person claims to have recorded everything and threatens to send the images to your friends, family or colleagues unless you pay. Sometimes they are bluffing, sometimes they use doctored images. The steps are the same either way.

1. Do not pay. Paying shows that the pressure works and usually leads to further demands.
2. Send nothing more and stop all contact, without negotiating.
3. Keep evidence: screenshots of the messages, the account’s @username, the payment details they asked for.
4. Lock down your accounts: hide your profiles and contact lists from this person, then block them.
5. Report the account in Telegram.
6. Contact the police: in the UK, call 101, or 999 if you are in immediate danger; in the United States, report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

The blame lies entirely with the blackmailer. In the UK, the Revenge Porn Helpline supports adults facing intimate image abuse, including sextortion. StopNCII lets adults create digital fingerprints of their images, without the images leaving their device, so that partner platforms can block them. Be wary of companies that charge to make images disappear: free help exists.

Protecting your number, photos and account

In Telegram’s settings, the Privacy and Security section gathers the options that limit what a stranger can learn about you.

• Phone number: hide it from everyone and allow only your contacts to find you by it.
• Profile photos: show them to your contacts only, and avoid a picture already used elsewhere, which a reverse image search could link to your other accounts.
• Username: an @username lets people message you without seeing your number. Pick one that does not include your full name or your town.
• Two-step verification: add a password on top of the login code. Never share that code, even with someone claiming to work for Telegram.
• Active sessions: review the list of logged-in devices and end any you do not recognise.

Think about the background of your photos too: a number plate, a shopfront, a work badge or a reflection can be enough to locate you.

Checking who you are talking to

• Run a reverse image search on their photos: if they appear under other names, the profile is fake.
• Suggest a short video call. A real person usually agrees; repeated refusals are a strong signal.
• Ask specific questions about their story and compare the answers with earlier messages: inconsistencies often give away a script.
• Be cautious with an account that has no @username, mismatched photos and no groups in common with you.
• For a first meeting, choose a public place, tell a friend and arrange your own transport.

Images can be faked, video included. Combine several checks rather than relying on just one.

Reporting in Telegram and getting help

In a chat, long-press a message, choose “Report” and pick the matching reason. Groups, channels and bots can also be reported from their info page before you block or leave them. If someone is impersonating you, Telegram’s official @NoToScam account handles impersonation cases.

• Report Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): 0300 123 2040, for scams and cyber crime. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
• Revenge Porn Helpline (UK): support for adults whose intimate images have been shared or threatened.
• ReportFraud (United States): the Federal Trade Commission’s service for reporting romance and online scams.
• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (United States): the FBI’s channel for reporting sextortion and online fraud.
• Immediate danger: call 999 in the UK or 911 in the United States.

To join communities without bots or fake profiles, explore the Top Telegram directory, where every group is checked by hand and dating bots are turned away.

Frequently asked questions

Is every Telegram dating group a scam?

No, but caution is wise. A genuine group has clear rules, visible moderation and varied conversations between members. A group where every chat leads to a bot, a link or a payment exists mainly to redirect its members.

Does the blackmailer really have my images?

Not necessarily. Some are bluffing, others use doctored pictures or images found elsewhere. Either way, do not pay, keep the evidence and report it: paying does not stop the images being shared and invites more demands.

Can group members see my phone number?

By default, Telegram only shows your number to people you have saved as contacts, and you can hide it entirely in your privacy settings. Members can still see your name, @username and photo, depending on your choices.