No one likes having their time wasted, so here are some steps I take to prevent that.

In general, you can get a feeling for the seriousness of a donor/recipient just by recognizing certain patterns. Catfish and scammers will generally try to control the direction of the conversation by keeping information about themselves vague, while seeking information from you. If they ask for photos and personal information right off the bat, chances are they're more interested in those things than you. If you haven't verified who you're talking to is who they say they are, then don't send them identifiable info.

Speaking of which, if who you're speaking to won't verify, then it's likely they're not serious. Eventually the people getting together to make a baby need to meet in real life. Photo verification is a start, but it's not perfect. Video chat is a much better option and should be a defining criteria before meeting with someone off the internet. If they won't talk to you real-time online, chances are they don't intend to meet you.

A green flag would be someone that engages in the conversation, and is capable about working out the logistics. If you aren't talking dates, schedules, travel, involvement, etc. then it's just fantasy. Real donors and recipients will make sure to take the time to work out everything. If you get to this point where both of you have put in the effort, then think about having a video chat where you can exchange more info about each other.

While it can be a little daunting to find someone from the internet to make a baby, if you carefully pay attention to who you're speaking with, you can make better decisions to go forward with them, or move onto someone else if the vibe isn't right.