Staying safe when you talk to strangers online, including sextortion

Most conversations with strangers online are harmless. A small number are not, and they tend to follow familiar patterns. Knowing those patterns, and what to do if something goes wrong, is the best protection you have. You can have a good conversation without anyone learning who you are.

What never to share with a stranger

• Your full name, home address, school or workplace.
• Phone numbers, email addresses and social media accounts.
• Photos or documents that show any of the above.
• Passwords, verification codes or bank details. No legitimate person needs them.
• Intimate photos or videos, including on a “private” video call.

Check your camera view before video

Before you start a video chat, look at your own preview. On RandomHey you always see your preview before anyone else sees you. Check for:

• Letters, parcels or documents with your name or address.
• A window with a recognisable view.
• Uniforms, badges or lanyards showing your school or employer.
• Photos on the wall of friends or family.

You can also turn your camera off or mute your microphone during a call without ending it.

Warning signs

Be careful when someone:

• Asks to move to another app soon after meeting. The FBI lists being approached on one platform and asked to continue on another as a warning sign.
• Asks for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or game credits, for any reason.
• Offers something in exchange for a picture, such as money, a modelling opportunity or game credits.
• Moves quickly to compliments, flirting or romance.
• Pressures you or makes you feel you have to answer, send something or stay.
• Tells a story designed to make you feel sorry for them, followed by a request.

Remember that videos and photos are not proof that someone is who they claim to be. The FBI notes that images can be altered or stolen.

What is sextortion?

Sextortion is when someone threatens to share intimate images or videos of you unless you do what they demand, usually sending money or more images. It often starts with flattery or a fake romantic interest, sometimes with an offer of something in exchange, and sometimes with a direct threat claiming they already have an image of you.

In financially motivated sextortion, the offender demands money or gift cards. According to the FBI, offenders often release the material whether or not they are paid.

What to do if it happens to you

1. Stop replying. Do not negotiate or argue.
2. Do not pay. Paying does not guarantee the material is deleted and often leads to more demands.
3. Keep evidence. Take screenshots of messages, usernames and any payment details before you block.
4. Block and report the person on every platform where they contacted you.
5. Report it to the police. In the US, the FBI asks victims to report at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI, or to contact local law enforcement. Elsewhere, contact your local police.
6. Ask for help removing images (see below).
7. Talk to someone you trust. You are the victim of a crime and have not done anything wrong.

The FBI also warns against for-profit companies that charge sextortion victims for help. The services below are free.

Free services that can help

• StopNCII.org is for adults whose intimate images are being shared or threatened. It is for images taken when you were 18 or older. It creates a digital fingerprint (a hash) of your images on your own device and shares only that fingerprint with participating companies so they can detect and remove matching images. It does not download your images.
• Take It Down, run by the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, helps remove nude or sexually explicit images taken of someone when they were under 18. You can stay anonymous and do not have to send the images to anyone.
• NCMEC CyberTipline is the US reporting system for the online exploitation of children.
• Revenge Porn Helpline supports adult victims of intimate image abuse in the UK.

How Report and Block work on RandomHey

• Report and Block are always visible during a chat and for a short time after it ends.
• Block ends the chat at once and stops you being matched with that person again.
• Reports are reviewed by people. You can choose to include the last text messages so a moderator can read them.
• Video is not recorded, so reports about a video chat rely on your description.
• Links in text chat are not clickable and files cannot be sent.

No safety system catches everything. Read our safety features and their limits for the full details.

If someone is in danger

If you believe someone is at immediate risk, contact your local emergency services.