Safety
Safe Cougar Dating: Meet with Confidence
Your real name and address stay private, ID checks are free, and real people are looking out for you around the clock.
- Free to join
- 18+ only
Protected at every step
Every one of these looks after you from the day you join.
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Blue tick ID check
Show a government ID and a blue tick goes on your profile. It's optional and free.
Why it matters You can see at a glance who has proved they're real.
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Video check
Rather not share documents? A quick live video call with a moderator does the same job.
Why it matters You get the badge without handing over your ID.
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Age checks
Ages are estimated automatically, with further checks where they're needed.
Why it matters Keeps the site for adults, as it should be.
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Private usernames
Members see your username. Your real name and email stay private.
Why it matters Nobody can look you up on social media or contact you uninvited.
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Location privacy
Members see your nearest town or city, never your address or where you are right now.
Why it matters Where you live stays your business.
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Instant blocking
Block anyone and they can't see you or contact you again, straight away.
Why it matters You decide who gets to talk to you.
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Easy reporting
Report a profile, a photo or a message in a couple of taps.
Why it matters Our team can act quickly when someone crosses a line.
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Member ratings
Every member builds a reputation from how they behave and what others say.
Why it matters You get a feel for someone before you reply.
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One-tap feedback
A quick thumbs up or thumbs down after you've chatted.
Why it matters Good manners get noticed and bad behaviour gets flagged early.
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WhatsApp scam alerts
The site spots when someone tries to move your chat to WhatsApp or another app.
Why it matters You get a warning about one of the oldest tricks scammers use.
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Activity monitoring
Software keeps watch for unusual or suspicious activity.
Why it matters Helps catch scammers, bots and troublemakers early.
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Screened uploads
Every photo, video and post is checked by software and by people as it's uploaded.
Why it matters Unpleasant content is stopped before it reaches you.
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Fast takedowns
Ask us to remove anything posted without your permission and we act fast.
Why it matters Your pictures and your privacy stay yours.
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Blurred explicit images
Explicit photos are blurred, with a warning, until you choose to look.
Why it matters No surprises you didn't ask for.
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Help day and night
A real support team on chat, phone and messages, around the clock.
Why it matters Help when you need it, not on Monday morning.
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Dating tips
Tips and reminders built into the site, just when they're useful.
Why it matters Smarter choices online and when you meet.
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Secure servers
Hosted on secure, PCI-compliant cloud servers with full SSL encryption.
Why it matters Your details, messages and payments stay safe.
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Industry standards
The platform behind us is involved with the Online Dating and Discovery Association.
Why it matters We follow the industry's safety standards and help shape them.
Flattery is lovely. Pressure is a warning
Dating across an age gap attracts a particular kind of scammer, and it runs both ways. Some target older women with a young, attentive admirer who soon has a problem only money can fix. Others target younger men with a glamorous older woman who promises to look after them, or who asks for a fee or a gift card before you can meet. Some send intimate photos early, ask for yours, and then threaten to share them. None of this makes you foolish if it happens to you. A few habits protect you from almost all of it.
- Keep the conversation on the site until you have met. The site warns you when someone pushes to move to WhatsApp or text, and it is fair to ask why they are in a hurry.
- Ask for a short video call before you meet. Anyone genuine will understand.
- Never send money, gift cards, travel fares or bank details to someone you have not met, whatever the story.
- Do not send intimate photos to someone you have not met. If anyone threatens to share images of you, stop replying, keep the messages, report the profile and contact the police.
- Meet somewhere public and busy, get yourself there and home, and keep your drink in sight.
- Tell a friend where you are going and who with.
- If something feels wrong, trust that feeling. Leave, then block and report the profile. Our team reads every report.
Discretion, built in
Plenty of members would rather their colleagues or their ex did not know they are dating younger men or older women. That is fine. Your username is not your name, your location shows only your nearest town, and you decide which photos go on your profile. Our guide is Local Cougars legit? explains what happens behind the scenes to keep fake profiles out, and our first date ideas are all easy, public places to meet.
What members ask about safety
Can other members see my real name?
No. Members see your username. Your real name and email are never shown, and your location shows only your nearest town or city.
Are members verified?
Any member can be, at no cost, and a badge shows who is. Verification is optional, so look for the badge. Photos, videos and text are screened by software and by people as they are uploaded.
How do I report someone?
Use the report option on their profile or in your messages. Blocking them stops them contacting or seeing you straight away.
Someone asked me for money. What should I do?
Do not send it, stop replying and report the profile. Asking a match for money is one of the clearest signs of a scam.
Is the site only for adults?
Yes. Local Cougars is strictly for adults aged 18 and over, and ages are checked automatically, with further checks where the law requires them.
Help is always a message away
Real people are on hand day and night, and you can reach them from your account whenever you need them.
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