It is impossible to imagine the modern world without online communication. Hornet, the world’s gay social network with over 40 million users, provides a community space that you can access anytime and anywhere. However, having a profile on any social or dating platform may attract fraudsters and criminals.
At Hornet, we work tirelessly to prevent such profiles from appearing in our digital home that we are building together with you. We have implemented many measures to combat them and are constantly improving them. But bad actors are also persistent and constantly coming up with new ways to bypass protective measures that online platforms bring in.
This article offers a quick overview of what you can do to protect yourself from spammers, scammers, fake profiles, and criminal behavior.
Do not move to a different messaging app
Be extremely careful if someone asks you to continue the conversation in another messenger (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Snapchat, WeChat, etc.). Fraudsters can be very inventive in convincing you to switch platforms. They may say that Hornet doesn’t work properly for them (which is not true), that another app is more convenient, that they have reached a messaging limit (we do not limit chats), that they rarely use Hornet because they live a closeted life, and many other similar excusesOur advice for you is not to transfer the conversation to another messenger unless you are 100% sure you are talking to a real, trusted person.
Hornet provides all the tools you need to communicate safely without leaving the app, including our chat and voice messages, as well as video calls. This way, if the worst happens and you decide to log a report, we will be able to preserve information about the bad actor and share it with law enforcement.
Protect your personal information
Be careful when sharing personal information in private conversations or on your profile. Never give out your home address, phone number, bank account details, or photos of official documents and daily routine until you get to know the person better. If someone asks you for any type of personal information, especially when you are in the beginning of getting to know each other, this should alert you. Think critically, maybe the best would be to report the user so our moderation team can review them.
If a bad actor gains access to personal information, they may attempt to threaten or blackmail you (for example, by threatening to send nude photos to your family unless you pay). If you find yourself in such a situation, contact law enforcement. Only they can take appropriate action.
Be aware of what your photos show
Always remember that any content you share can reveal more information about you than you may expect, especially if you live in a region where being an LGBTQ individual is illegal or dangerous. When sharing your photos:
- Try not to use the same photos you use on other social platforms. Remember that the other person can always perform a photo search on the internet, find your other social media profiles, and find out more about your personal information.
- Try to hide anything in the photo that could help identify you (face, tattoos, scars, home interiors, surroundings, etc.). We recommend cropping such objects from the photo instead of blurring them because there is software that can reverse the blur effect.
- Remember that we live in a digital world, and you can’t imagine how much information about you a photo can tell. Most mobile phones automatically collect data about date, time, and location when you take a photo. If you decide to share a photo with a stranger, make sure that you remove all metadata (you can do it directly from your phone or by using one of the apps that remove this data for you).
- You may want to send an expiring photo allowing only a one-time view, which lasts for 10 seconds.
Hornet has a screenshot prevention feature that blocks screenshots of private photos for all users. It also allows you to block screenshots of you profile and chat if you are a Member. However, assume that anything may be recorded at any time, for example, by using a secondary phone.
Another thing to remember: If you overshare with someone in chat and decide to delete the conversation, this will only delete the conversation on your end, while the other person will still have access to the conversation unless you block them.
Keep your password to yourself
Keep your account secure and never share your password with anyone! Even if you trust someone, your password should belong only to you. In this case, no one can hack into your profile and steal your personal information. Learn more about ensuring account security here.
Trust your instincts
Always be cautious and trust your instincts. Do not neglect to spend some time talking to and researching your paramour. If you see anything that doesn’t look or feel real, it most likely is not real. Report the user, and our moderation team will closely review the profile. This article explains how you can report the user. The more people report the bad actors, the faster we can get rid of them.
The best indicator showing that you are talking to a real person is the blue verification mark next to the profile name. If a user has it, it means we have manually checked their photo taken in real-time and compared it to photos in their profile. You can read more about it here.
Still need help? Email us at feedback@hornet.com. Please include your username so we can find your account faster. It appears on your profile page, at the top center of the screen, and begins with the “@” symbol.