Safety guide for video chatting with strangers

A video call can reveal more than your face. The frame may show mail, credentials, photographs, license plates, window views or family routines. The AEPD recommends checking what is visible behind you before an online meeting and turning off the camera and microphone when unnecessary.

Prepare a neutral space, close applications that could display notifications and choose a name that does not reveal your surname, workplace, school or exact location.

• Remove identifying documents, parcels and photographs from the frame.
• Disable notification previews.
• Check your camera and microphone before connecting.
• Keep your browser and operating system updated.
• Decide beforehand which information you will not share.

Social engineering tries to make someone disclose information or act through trust, fear, urgency or an apparent reward. INCIBE recommends being wary of requests for passwords, financial details, payments, downloads or links from strangers.

You do not need to prove your politeness by staying in a conversation that makes you uncomfortable. Ending it is a valid safety measure even if you cannot yet explain exactly what worries you.

• They ask to move the conversation immediately to another platform.
• They request money, verification codes, documents or passwords.
• They send shortened links, files or programs to install.
• They pressure you to show more of your room or body.
• They claim an emergency and demand action without checking anything.
• They threaten to publish a screenshot or alleged video.

Act in order: end the interaction, keep only the information needed to report without redistributing harmful content, block the account and use the platform's reporting channel. For an immediate threat, extortion or possible crime, contact the appropriate authorities.

1. 1

   End the call

   Do not argue or respond with the same behavior. Disconnect your camera and microphone.

2. 2

   Protect your accounts

   If you shared a password or code, change your credentials and review active sessions from a trusted device.

3. 3

   Block and report

   Describe what happened specifically and choose the most accurate category.

4. 4

   Ask for help

   For fraud or cybersecurity questions in Spain, you can contact INCIBE on 017; for immediate danger, contact emergency services.

Mandatory accounts, clear rules and blocking and reporting controls allow a better response than a system without persistent identity. Even so, they do not automatically verify everything another person says or prevent someone capturing their own screen.

On notmegle, you can move to another conversation, block an account and send a report. These controls reduce risks and support moderation; they are not an absolute safety guarantee.