He seemed like the perfect guy, he said all the right things, but then you found out his dark secret. Just in time for Halloween, listeners of the Dates & Mates podcast called in to share their scariest first date stories.

As unnerving as some of these cases are, we can always learn from our mistakes. So check out these true dating horror stories and pick up some useful tips on how to keep them from happening to you.

THE MAD SCIENTIST

Thanksgiving night, Tavishya found herself trekking two hours to meet her date. Normally, she wouldn’t go to such lengths but he was a scientist who was studying for his Ph.D so he seemed to be going places.

When she arrived, his campus was a ghost town and her date was already drunk. But the date got even stranger when he invited her into the greenhouse in which he was conducting experiments. As Tavishya walked further and further into the pitch-black greenhouse, she began to fear the worst...

HOT AND HEAVY HURRICANE

Jasmin was struggling to make friends after moving to Florida, so she turned to dating apps to expand her options. When the guy she matched with showed up IRL, she was smitten. Things seemed promising until Hurricane Irma hit. This romantic connection kept taking a turn for the worse as the pair struggled to find somewhere to eat after the storm ended. But where can you go when your date says he’s not dressed well enough for TGI Fridays?

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Symphony met a man through Facebook and the two had been hitting it off online for a year before they decided to take the plunge and meet in person. She chose the perfect restaurant, got dressed to the nines and prepared to meet this handsome stranger.

However, when she got to dinner, Symphony’s date kept making reference to a big secret he had to tell her. He said that with him she could have the best of both worlds, but she was shocked to learn what he meant by that…

Listen to the shocking conclusion of these dating horror stories and more in this week’s episode.

Damona Hoffman is a certified dating coach and TV personality (from #BlackLove and A Question of Love on FYI TV.) She gives weekly dating and relationship advice on The Dates & Mates radio show and podcast.