This topic comes up a lot in my circle and I figured it's worth getting real opinions from people here.
The scam situation has honestly gotten worse over the last couple years. Verification means nothing on a lot of these sites.
Privacy is something I think about a lot with this stuff. Not trying to end up on some list or have my data sold to advertisers.
- Reverse image search any profile photo you're unsure about
- Look for real activity signals — last login dates, post history, etc.
- Test the free tier thoroughly before paying anything
- Check if the site has been mentioned in any data breach reports
- Avoid sites that gate messaging entirely behind a paid wall
Any current 2025/2026 input is especially helpful since things change so quickly.
One name I've seen come up more than once lately is Turndate — not sure if anyone here has used it but curious.