10 Simple Rules for Staying Safe in Online Chats
Messaging apps make it easy to connect, and just as easy for scammers and bad actors to reach you. These ten habits cover most everyday risks.
- Share your id carefully. Give it to people you know or have chosen to talk to. If someone you do not want starts messaging you, stop replying.
- Never send money to someone you have not met. "Emergency" requests from new contacts or from a friend's supposedly new account are classic scams. Verify by another channel.
- Do not click unexpected links. Phishing links imitate login pages. If a message pushes urgency, slow down.
- Guard your Google account. Turn on 2-step verification. Anyone who controls your Google account can sign in as you.
- Keep sensitive data out of chat. Passwords, one-time codes, card numbers and ID scans do not belong in messages.
- Be wary of too-good-to-be-true offers. Prizes, quick-profit schemes and "investment tips" from strangers are almost always fraud.
- Think before sending photos. Once an image leaves your device you cannot control where it goes. Never share intimate images under pressure.
- Check who is in a group. Groups can include people you do not know. Review members before sharing anything personal.
- Use a different password everywhere. A password manager makes this easy and protects the email account behind your chats.
- Report and leave. If someone harasses or threatens you, save evidence, report it, and leave the chat. Contact local authorities in serious cases.
Helping younger users
If you are a parent or guardian, talk openly about who your child chats with, explain why they should never meet strangers from the internet without you, and make sure they know they can come to you without getting in trouble.
Reporting problems
If you see abuse on Thingwethink, email us through the contact page with the sender's id and a short description.