Safety Tips

Draft — pending legal review. This is a working draft. A lawyer will review it before ChaiPe launches, and the final text may change.

Most people on ChaiPe are here for the same reason you are. These tips help you stay safe while you get to know someone, online and when you meet for that first chai.

Emergency and helpline numbers#

If you are in danger right now, call 112 first.

Contents#

1. Before you meet
2. Meeting for the first time
3. Money scams
4. Sextortion and intimate images
5. Protect your personal information
6. Consent
7. If something goes wrong
8. Safety tools in ChaiPe
9. How to report on ChaiPe

Before you meet#

• Look for the Verified badge. It means the person's selfie matched their profile photos when they verified. It is not a background check, so still use your judgement.
• Consider a video call first. A short video call helps show that the person is who they say they are. ChaiPe does not have video calls, so do this only when you are comfortable sharing a contact on another app. Be careful if someone keeps making excuses not to show their face.
• Take your time. Chat on ChaiPe until you feel comfortable. You do not have to share your number or social media before you are ready.
• Watch for red flags: stories that do not add up, pressure to move to another app quickly, asking where you live or work, refusing to show their face, love declared very fast, or any mention of money.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it is fine to stop replying, unmatch or block.

Meeting for the first time#

• Meet in a public, busy place, such as a well-known café during the day. Chai is the perfect first date.
• Tell a friend where you are going, who you are meeting and when you expect to be back. Share your plan with them.
• Arrange your own travel to and from the date. Do not accept a pick-up from home.
• Keep your phone charged and with you.
• Stay in control. Watch your drink and food, and keep your bag and phone with you. Drink only if you want to, and know your limit.
• Leave whenever you want. You do not owe anyone your time. If you feel uncomfortable, leave, and ask café staff for help if you need it.
• Do not go to someone's home, or invite them to yours, on a first date.

Money scams#

Never send money to someone you met on a dating app, however good their reason sounds.

• Never share an OTP, your UPI PIN, card details or bank passwords with anyone. You never need to enter a PIN to receive money. If a "payment request" asks for your PIN, it is taking money from you.
• Common dating scams in India include:
  • Investment and trading scams: someone you are talking to offers to teach you trading or crypto, shows you "profits", then asks you to invest more.
  • Emergency stories: a sudden medical bill, a parcel or gift "stuck at customs", or a ticket they cannot pay for.
  • "Officer" or "abroad" profiles: someone who says they work overseas or in the forces and cannot meet, but needs money.
  • Fake customer care: someone asks you to install a screen-sharing app or click a link to "fix" something.
• ChaiPe never asks you for payment by UPI, bank transfer or a link. All ChaiPe purchases happen inside Google Play.
• If you have lost money, call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in as soon as possible. Acting fast gives the best chance of stopping the money.

Sextortion and intimate images#

• Be very careful about sharing intimate photos or videos, or going on video calls where you might be recorded.
• If someone threatens to share your intimate images unless you pay or send more:
  • do not pay and do not send anything more. Paying usually leads to more demands;
  • stop replying, but do not delete the chat. Keep screenshots, the profile and any payment details as evidence;
  • report it to us in the app, and to the police or at cybercrime.gov.in, or call 1930.
• If your intimate images have been shared without your consent, tell us straight away. We act on these complaints within 2 hours. You can also use StopNCII.org to help stop images being shared on participating platforms.
• Sharing someone's intimate images without consent is a crime in India.

Protect your personal information#

• Keep your home address, workplace, daily routine, financial details and family details private until you know someone well.
• Use photos that do not show your house number, vehicle number plate, office ID card or school.
• Think twice before linking social media accounts that reveal where you live or work.
• ChaiPe never shows your exact location, only a rough distance or your city. You can turn on Hide my distance to show only your city.

Consent#

• Consent must be clear, freely given and can be withdrawn at any time, including in the middle of a date.
• "No", silence or hesitation means no. Someone who is very drunk cannot consent.
• Never pressure anyone, and never accept pressure yourself.

If something goes wrong#

• If you are in danger, call 112.
• Get to a safe place and contact someone you trust.
• You can report a crime at any police station. For a serious (cognisable) offence, Indian law says a police station must register your complaint even if the incident happened somewhere else (a "Zero FIR"). Many complaints can also be filed online.
• Keep evidence: screenshots of the profile and chat, messages, call records and any payment details.
• Report the person to us so we can protect others. We keep a copy of reported chats and profiles as evidence, even after you unmatch, and we cooperate with the police.
• Helplines: Women Helpline 181, National Commission for Women 7827170170, cyber crime 1930.

Safety tools in ChaiPe#

All of these are free, always:

• Verified badge and selfie verification.
• Only verified people can see me.
• Hide my distance, so people see only your city.
• Snooze to hide your profile from Discover.
• Block, Report and Unmatch on every profile and chat.
• Screenshot blocking on profiles and chats.
• Scam warnings in the early part of new chats, when someone shares a phone number, UPI ID or link, or mentions common scam words.
• Chai Invites only if you opt in. Nobody can message you before a match unless you have chosen to receive Chai Invites.

How to report on ChaiPe#

• Tap Report on any profile or chat and choose a reason. Report anything that worries you, even if you are not sure.
• The person is not told who reported them.
• Serious reports (a possible minor, intimate images, impersonation or threats) hide the profile or content straight away while we review it.
• You can also email grievance@chaipe.app or use our grievance page.

Read our Community Guidelines to see what is not allowed on ChaiPe, and our Child Safety Standards.

Questions about this page? Email support@chaipe.app. Complaints go to our Grievance Officer.