Trust & safety
How to meet locals safely
Meeting someone who actually lives in the city is the best part of travelling — and it should never feel like a risk. Here is exactly how BeMyLocal verifies members, what happens when someone behaves badly, and the simple habits that keep a first meet-up easy.
Email or Google sign-in, a confirmation step and a selfie check before anyone can host. Selfies stay private — they are never shown on a profile card.
Shared photos, audio and files are wiped when a conversation closes, and you can clear your own messages at any time.
One tap stops all contact. Blocked members cannot message you, call you or see you in the community hub.
Reports reach a real moderator. Marketplace ads are reviewed before publishing and can be pulled at any time.
Before your first meet-up
- Keep the conversation inside BeMyLocal chat until you have met.
- Choose a public café, market or park for the first meeting, in daylight.
- Tell a friend where you are going and when you expect to be back.
- Agree who pays for what before you set off — no surprises, no pressure.
- Never send money, deposits or documents to a member outside the marketplace.
- If anything feels off, leave. Then block and report.
Common questions
- Is it safe to meet locals while travelling?
- It is, if the platform verifies people and you meet sensibly. On BeMyLocal every member passes an email and selfie check before they can host, profiles show how long someone has been a member, and first meet-ups should always be in a public place during daylight.
- How does BeMyLocal verify its members?
- Sign-up runs through Google or email with a confirmation step, followed by a selfie check that is compared against the profile photos. Selfies are stored privately and are never shown on a profile card.
- What happens if someone behaves badly?
- Any member can be reported or blocked directly from chat. Reports go to the moderation team, and there is a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, solicitation and scams — accounts are removed without warning.
- Are marketplace listings checked?
- Yes. Every Shop Local ad is reviewed by a moderator before it goes live, and admins can remove a listing at any time. Payments run through Razorpay and UPI rather than cash handed to a stranger.
- What should I do before my first meet-up?
- Keep the conversation inside BeMyLocal chat, meet in a public café or market first, tell a friend where you are going, agree costs in advance, and leave if anything feels off. You never owe anyone an explanation for changing your mind.