If someone in a chat asks you to move to another app, you can say no. You do not need to give a reason. A handle on Snapchat, Telegram, WhatsApp, Kik or Discord can lead to your real identity, and many scams start with this request.
Why people ask you to move
Honest reasons
Some people ask for reasons that are fair.
- They want to keep in contact. This site has no accounts, and a name is free again about 30 minutes after you leave.
- They want voice or video. This site has text and images only.
- They want a longer history. Private message history here lasts 24 hours.
Dishonest reasons
Many requests are not honest. These are the common ones.
- To get away from moderation. On another app, no moderator from this site can see or stop what occurs.
- To collect your identity. A handle can show your real name, your photos, your friends and your town.
- To start sextortion. The person gets intimate images from you. Then the person demands money and threatens to send the images to your contacts.
- To sell something. The "person" wants you to pay for content, for a subscription or for a "verification".
- Because it is a bot. A bot sends the same line to many people and wants clicks on a link.
Signs of a dishonest request
- The request comes in the first few messages.
- The person hurries you, or refuses to talk here at all.
- The person sends a link to "verify your age" or to "prove you are real".
- A story about money appears: a gift card, a fee, a small payment.
- The person wants images from you quickly but gives nothing that you can verify.
The guide to adult chat safety and scams shows more of these patterns.
The risks of a move to another app
Your handle can lead to your real identity
WhatsApp shows your phone number to the person you talk to. Telegram can show your number if your privacy settings permit it. Many people use one username on Snapchat, Instagram and other places. A search for that username can find your face, your friends and your workplace.
Screenshots and saved images
Messages that "disappear" are not safe. The other person can take a screenshot, or can photograph the screen with a second phone. After you send an image, you do not control it.
Sextortion
Sextortion is blackmail with intimate images. It usually goes like this. A friendly stranger moves you to an app, swaps images quickly, and then shows you a list of your contacts. Then the demand for money comes. If you pay, the demands usually continue.
Paid "verification"
No honest person needs a payment or a card number from you to prove that you are real. A link to a "free verification" page that asks for a card is a scam. Selling and buying are also against the rules of this site.
How to say no
A short, calm line is enough. You can type one of these:
- "I like to keep it here. Happy to talk in private messages."
- "I do not share my other apps. We can chat here."
- "No thanks, that is not for me."
- "Maybe later. I want to know you better first."
If the person accepts your answer, that is a good sign. If the person pushes, stop the conversation. Tap the username and choose Ignore. You can read how first messages work in the guide to private message requests.
When a move can be fine, and how to lower the risk
A move can be fine when you talked for a good while and the person stayed consistent. There was no pressure, no money and no links. You are an adult, and the decision is yours.
If you decide to move, do these steps first.
- Make a separate account for chat contacts. Use a username that you use nowhere else.
- Do not use your real name, your real photo or your birthday in that account.
- Do not let the app read your contacts, and do not connect it to other accounts.
- Select an app and settings that do not show your phone number.
- Turn off location features, such as a map that shows where you are.
- Keep your face, tattoos, room details and documents out of all images.
- Never pay, and never open a "verification" link.
These steps lower the risk. They do not remove it. The guide to staying private in adult chat gives more detail about images and usernames.
Why this site blocks handles in public rooms
In public rooms, the filter blocks phone numbers, links and off-site handles. That includes Snapchat, Telegram, Kik, WhatsApp and Instagram names. There are three reasons.
- Handle spam fills a room quickly and pushes out real conversation.
- Scammers and sellers use public rooms to collect contacts.
- A handle in a public room is visible to every person in that room, and you cannot take it back.
This rule applies to rooms such as the adult chat room and the singles chat room. Do not try to get around the filter with spaces or odd spelling. Moderators remove people who do that. You can read more in how moderation works.
How to report a person who pushes you
- Tap the username.
- Choose Report.
- If the problem is an image, tap the image and choose Report image.
The report goes to a moderator with the last 20 messages for context. After that, choose Ignore.
If someone already has your images and threatens you, do not pay. Save the usernames, the times and the screenshots. Then contact your local police. The Report abuse page of this site tells you what to include.
Questions
Is it against the rules to ask someone to move to another app?
In public rooms, the filter blocks phone numbers, links and off-site handles, so such a request usually fails there. Repeated attempts to get around the filter can cause a removal. Pressure, spam and sales are against the rules everywhere on the site, and you can report them.
What do I do if I already gave out my handle?
Make your account on that app private and remove your real name and photo if you can. Block the person at the first sign of pressure or a request for money. Do not send images. If threats start, keep the evidence, do not pay, and contact your local police.
Can I trust someone who sends a selfie to prove they are real?
No. A selfie is easy to copy from another place, and it proves nothing about the person who sends it. Judge the person by behavior over time: no pressure, no money, no links, and respect for your answer when you say no.