Privacy and safety

Do other members see my phone number or email?

No. Other members never see your phone number or email address. Use private messages to arrange exchanges.

No. Other members cannot see your email address or your phone number. Only the staff who run your community, such as administrators and coordinators (also called brokers), can see them. This lets them contact you if they need to.

Talk through private messages

You can talk to other members in Messages, the private messaging built into the site. You do not need to share a phone number, an email address, WhatsApp or a social media account to arrange an exchange.

Keeping your conversations in Messages helps you:

• keep your contact details private
• keep a record of what you agreed
• get help from your community if something goes wrong

Be careful if someone you have not met asks you to move to a phone call, text messages or another app straight away. It is fine to say no and stay in Messages.

If you decide to share your details

Some members choose to swap phone numbers once they know and trust each other. That is up to you. Only share what you are comfortable with. Never share passwords, bank details or identity documents.

More guides in this topic

• Who can see my profile?
• How do I block someone?
• Muting a member: what it does and does not do
• How do I report a listing or a post?
• What are safeguarding preferences?
• Can a coordinator read my messages?
• Staying safe when you meet someone
• Can people under 18 join?

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