Pure app background checks: How to verify anonymous matches without built-in tools

TL;DR: Pure has no built-in background-check tools and keeps profiles anonymous. Before meeting up in person, verify their photos in the app, look up their number, and run their name through local court dockets yourself.

Mainstream dating apps love to brag about safety. Tinder briefly tried offering background checks through Garbo a few years back, while apps like Bumble and Hinge push selfie verification and real first names to keep profiles honest.

As Jack Dawes outlined in Mashable’s guide to anonymous dating, Pure exists to minimize your digital paper trail. You do not need an email, phone number, or full bio on display to swipe. Instead of permanent profiles, users post temporary “dating ads” that vanish after a set window. Conversations self-delete after 24 hours by default, and built-in protections actively block screenshots to keep private photos from leaking.

That setup makes it a haven for discreet hookups, but it leaves you with a massive safety blind spot: Pure has zero integrated background-checking tools and does not screen users. In fact, the app’s legal terms plainly state that it does not run criminal background or identity checks on anyone who signs up.

If you are meeting a stranger from the internet for a casual hookup, you need to know who is walking through the door. Because Pure will not do the vetting for you, here’s how to handle the detective work yourself before taking things offline.

Max out Pure’s in-app verification tools

Before digging into someone’s legal history, you first need to confirm the person chatting with you actually looks like their photos. Catfishing and bot profiles are common across anonymous ad boards, but Pure gives you a few built-in tools to filter out fakes before you share personal contact info:

• Look for the Photo Verification badge — Pure lets people take a quick live selfie to earn a verification checkmark, confirming they actually look like their ad photos and aren’t using someone else’s pictures.

• Request a True Photo or hop on a video call — Pure includes a native “True Photo” feature that requests an instant, unfiltered snapshot taken directly through the app’s camera. Even better, jump on Pure’s built-in video chat. Pure notes in its own safety guidelines that a quick face-to-face video call acts as immediate “face control” — so if a match refuses a two-minute video chat before meeting, take that as an immediate red flag.

• Protect yourself during calls — While Pure blocks in-app screenshots and alerts you if someone tries to take one, an external camera can still record a screen. Keep your clothes on during the initial video vibe check until you establish real trust.

Run a reverse image search

If your match has an unverified profile or their photos look like professional studio shots, run them through an image search before getting invested.

Because Pure blocks in-app screenshots inside private chats and alerts the other user if you try to take one, grab a screenshot of their public ad photo from the main feed before opening a conversation, or snap a quick picture of your screen with a second phone or tablet.

Once you have the photo, run it through Google Lens, TinEye, or a facial search tool like FaceCheck.ID. Stolen images from Instagram models, adult content creators, or Reddit threads usually pop up within seconds.

If the photo belongs to an influencer living in another state, do not bother arguing. Tap the three dots inside Pure’s chat or ad menu, hit “Report,” select “Fake profile,” and move on.

Get verifiable contact info before leaving the app

You cannot run a meaningful public records search without a real first and last name, an active phone number, or a confirmed social handle. Pure does not require users to link any personal details, so you will eventually have to exchange contact info if you plan to meet in person.

When you do move the conversation off-app, run a few quick digital checks on whatever info they give you:

• Check for disposable numbers — Run their 10-digit phone number through a free lookup like NumLookup or Truecaller. This shows whether the number belongs to an actual wireless carrier (like Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile) or a disposable virtual VoIP service (like Google Voice, TextNow, or a burner app).

• Use Zelle to confirm their legal name — If they give you a real phone number, you can often confirm their identity without spending a dime. Because Zelle connects directly to verified bank accounts, entering the recipient’s phone number on Zelle’s send screen will usually display the recipient’s legal first name and last initial before you approve a payment. Venmo works too, but remember that users can change their Venmo display name to a nickname or fake handle.

Search free public records and court dockets

Once you have a legal name and a general metro area, you do not need to pay third-party consumer data broker sites for basic safety checks. The most critical public safety records are maintained directly by government agencies and are completely free to search:

• County court clerk records — In the U.S., criminal and civil court records are public information managed at the municipal and county levels. Search “[County Name] court records” or “[County Name] clerk of courts” for the area where your match lives. Most county court websites allow you to search public dockets for free, letting you spot active warrants, felony convictions, or domestic violence restraining orders.

• The National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW.gov) — Run by the U.S. Department of Justice, NSOPW is a free, nationwide registry search tool. You can search by a prospective date’s first and last name, city, or zip code to see whether they appear on any state, territorial, or tribal registry.

Avoid the fake “safety verification” link scam

Be on high alert if a match asks you to prove yourself on an outside website.

A common hookup app scam involves a match claiming that their personal safety app, roommate, or house rules require you to register on an external link before meeting up. The link usually leads to an official-looking site asking for your name, phone number, and a $1 credit card authorization to run a quick check.

The site is a credit card phishing scheme. Pure never requires third-party registration to chat or meet, and legitimate safety services do not ask strangers for payment details to verify an identity. If a match sends you an external verification link, tap the three dots in Pure’s chat menu, report the account for “Scam or fraud,” and block them.

Pure’s safety guidelines also warn against a common scam in which a match asks you to chip in for gas money, an Uber fare, or a taxi to come to you. If someone asks for cash transfers before you meet face-to-face, block them immediately.

Set up Pure’s Safety Signal before meeting in person

When it is time to meet up in person, turn on Pure’s built-in Safety Signal tool.

Safety Signal lets you share your date details with a trusted contact before heading out. When you turn it on, Pure generates a password-protected link you can text to a friend. Your friend does not need a Pure account — opening the link in any mobile browser shows your last-known location on a map, your match’s profile photos, and an active timer.

Beyond using Safety Signal, keep the basics in mind: meet in a busy, public spot for the first drink, and never rely on your date for a ride. A little planning lets you have fun without taking unnecessary chances.

Discreet hookups are great, but a little healthy snooping ahead of time is the best way to make sure your date stays fun, safe, and completely on your terms.