Staying safe and reporting scams in Australia

What Oasis Singles checks, and what it doesn't

Photos are reviewed; what members write about themselves, including their age, job, town and relationship status, is not checked. Profiles are also shared with partner sites in the same network, so someone messaging you may have joined through a different site and may live a long way from you.

Members can add an optional ID-verified badge, which matches a photo ID to a selfie through a verification provider, LEM Verify. Some accounts are asked to verify before they can carry on, for example after signing up through a VPN or being flagged. Treat the badge as one useful signal, not a promise. How Oasis Singles works explains the rest of the set-up.

The scam pattern worth knowing

A romance scam is a fake relationship built to get your money or personal details. Australians reported more than $28.6 million in romance scam losses to Scamwatch in 2025, across 1,330 people, a 21.8 per cent rise on the year before, and more than 80 per cent of those losses began with contact online (National Anti-Scam Centre, February 2026).

Scamwatch lists these warning signs:

• They say they love you or want something serious very quickly.
• They want to move the chat to another app.
• They won't video call, won't meet, or always cancel at the last minute.
• They tell you not to talk to anyone else and to trust only them.
• They ask for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or bank transfers, or for ID, your address or access to your accounts.

Victoria Police adds urgent stories about medical or travel costs, claims to be working overseas or in the military, and requests to receive money and pass it on, which can turn you into an unwitting money mule.

The rule that covers all of it: never send money, gift cards, crypto or ID documents to someone you haven't met in person. Our romance scams guide goes through how these conversations unfold, including the "I'm on a remote site" excuse.

Before you meet

1. Video call first. A short call settles whether the person matches their photos.
2. Reverse image search their photos. Scamwatch suggests it, and it takes a minute.
3. Talk it over with someone you trust. A friend who isn't emotionally involved will spot a story that doesn't add up.
4. Keep your own details back until you've met: home address, workplace, kids' schools, and never passwords or one-time codes. Our small-town privacy guide has more.

First dates in a small town or on a trail

Pick somewhere public, and arrange your own way there and home. Distances outside the capitals make this matter more: if the date is an hour's drive away, don't rely on the other person for a lift back.

Walks make good first dates with a bit of planning. Choose a popular, well-marked track, go in daylight, and tell a friend the track and when you expect to be back. Coverage drops out in valleys and national parks, and the Triple Zero service notes that with no mobile coverage on any network you can't reach 000 from a mobile. Our bushwalk first date guide has the detail, and dating in a small town covers the gossip side.

If something has gone wrong: where to report

Before you report, save the evidence: screenshots of the profile and messages, usernames, phone numbers, bank details you were given, and receipts. Then block the person.

Please report the profile to us as well, through the members help centre, with the member's username and a short note of what happened, so the account can be looked into across the shared member database. To delete your own account afterwards, click your avatar, then Settings > Delete Account. Our contact page lists other ways to reach us.