Treat every stranger as unverified. Keep your face, name, location and accounts private, never send money, and end the chat the moment something feels off. Report anyone who threatens or pressures you.
Key takeaways
- Share no real name, number or location
- Never send money or gift cards
- Leave if you are threatened or pressured
- Report abuse and block quickly
On this page
The 10 rules
- Check your background. Mail, documents, school or work items can identify you.
- Keep personal details out. No surname, workplace, address or social handles.
- Assume it can be recorded. Anyone can screen-record without telling you.
- Never send money. Sob stories and “verification fees” are scams.
- Don’t click links a stranger sends, even in chat.
- Don’t move to other apps too soon; scammers want your contacts.
- Use a separate email for sign-ups: lock down your account.
- Know the exits. Skip, end, block and report are always your right.
- Watch for clone sites. Use our red-flag table.
- Take breaks. See healthy habits.
If someone threatens you
Blackmail (sometimes called sextortion) starts with pressure to share intimate images, then demands money. If it happens: stop replying, do not pay, keep screenshots of the threats, report the account to the platform and to local cybercrime authorities. Paying rarely ends it. In India you can report at the national cybercrime portal; elsewhere use your local police or equivalent.
Privacy tools help, but not completely
A VPN or private browser hides some data, not your face or voice. Read what each tool really hides before you rely on one.
No genuine service or person will need gift cards, crypto or “fees” from you to keep chatting. Anyone asking is running a scam.
People also ask
Is it safe to show my face?
You are never fully anonymous on video. If you are not comfortable being recognised, don’t show your face and keep identifying items out of frame.
Should I pay to “verify” myself?
No. Real verification never requires you to send money to another user.
What if I see someone underage?
Leave at once and report the user to the platform. Adults-only means adults only.
Further reading
- StopNCII.org: help removing intimate images shared without consent
- National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (India)
- FBI IC3: report internet crime (US)
- FTC: how to recognise and avoid scams
Adults 18+ only. This guide is independent and contains affiliate links marked sponsored; see our disclosure. Details change — always confirm prices and terms on the platform.