Safety Tips

Online Safety

Do Not Send Money and Do Not Share Your Financial Information

Under no circumstances should you send money to people you meet on Gezginsel. Even if the other person says that they are in an emergency, that they are stranded, that they could not buy a ticket, that they have an accommodation problem, or that they will pay you back later, do not send money by bank transfer, digital wallet, cryptocurrency, payment app or similar methods.

Do not share your financial information, your bank account details, your card details, your passwords, your verification codes or your identity details with any User. If a User asks you for money, a donation, an investment, opening a joint account, buying a ticket, paying for accommodation or anything similar, report and block that person through the Platform.

Protect Your Personal Information

Do not rush to share your private information when you communicate with people you have just met. Do not share sensitive information such as your home address, your work address, your school, the places you go to regularly, your daily routine, your family members, your children, your identity details, your passport details and your travel documents with people you do not know.

Be careful when you share your travel plans as well. Information such as where you will be staying, which hotel you will be at on which date, and whether or not you are travelling alone can be used by people with bad intentions. Avoid sharing detailed location and route information before trust has been established.

Keep the Conversation on the Platform

While you are getting to know someone, keep your initial communication on the Gezginsel platform as far as possible. People with bad intentions may try to move the conversation quickly to a phone number, social media accounts, messaging apps or email in order to stay out of reach of moderation.

Before moving off the Platform, make sure that you know the other person well enough. Be careful with people who constantly put pressure on you with lines such as “let’s not write here”, “let’s switch to WhatsApp right away” or “let’s talk on Instagram”.

Be Careful with Suspicious Profiles

Be cautious of people whose Profile information is incomplete, whose photos do not look realistic, who constantly give different information, or who avoid giving clear answers about themselves. If the information a person gives is inconsistent, if they avoid video calls, if they constantly make excuses, or if they try to build excessive trust in a short time, this may be a warning sign.

If you suspect a fake profile, impersonation, fraud or manipulative behaviour, report the User.

Watch Out for Links and External Redirects

Be careful when you click on links that come from people you do not know. Commercial websites, investment platforms, ticket sales pages, surveys, prize draws, discount campaigns or app download links may be used for fraud.

Gezginsel does not allow Users to send each other unsolicited advertisements, sales messages, campaigns, investment offers or commercial proposals. If you receive messages of this kind, it is important that you report the User concerned.

Report Suspicious and Aggressive Behaviour

If a User is disturbing you, violating your boundaries, threatening you, putting pressure on you, insulting you, asking you for money, sending inappropriate Content, or trying to mislead you with false information, be sure to report this to Gezginsel.

The following situations should be reported:

Requests for money, donations, tickets, accommodation or financial support

Fake profiles or impersonation

Suspicion that a User is a minor

Harassment, threats, insults or persistent messages

Unsolicited messages with sexual content

Sending inappropriate photos or videos

Commercial advertising, sales or spam messages

Disturbing or harmful behaviour during a face-to-face meeting

Behaviour that puts safety at risk in Events, camping trips or travel plans

To report a person, you can use the “Report” and “Block” options on their Profile page or on the messaging screen.

Face-to-Face Meeting Safety

Do Not Rush

Do not rush into meeting a User face to face, joining an Event or making a trip plan together. First try to get to know the other person. Do not hesitate to ask questions, to ask for details, and to step back in situations that do not feel right to you.

Having a phone call or a video call before the meeting can help you form an idea about whether the other person is genuine and about their communication style.

Hold Your First Meeting in a Public Place

Hold your first meetings in crowded, well-lit and public places. Choose places where other people are present, such as a café, a restaurant, a museum, a seafront, a park, a shopping centre or an event venue.

For a first meeting, do not meet at your own home, at the other person’s home, in a hotel room, in an isolated area, inside a vehicle or in secluded places. If the other person is pushing you to go to a private place, end the meeting.

Share Your Plan with Someone You Trust

Before you go to a meeting, an Event, a trip or a camping trip, share your plan with a friend or a family member. Tell someone you trust who you are going to meet, where you are going, your estimated time of return and your contact details.

Make sure that your phone is fully charged. If possible, you can temporarily share your location with someone you trust.

Plan Your Own Transport

Stay in control of how you get to and from the meeting. For first meetings, it is safer not to let the other person pick you up from your home or take you to a place you do not know.

Have an alternative transport plan, such as your own vehicle, public transport, a taxi, a ride-hailing app or someone close to you who can pick you up. You should always have an option that allows you to leave independently of the meeting.

Leave If You Feel Uncomfortable

If during a meeting you feel uncomfortable, under pressure, unsafe or uneasy, there is nothing wrong with leaving. Trust your instincts. If you feel that something is wrong, you do not have to explain yourself.

If necessary, ask for help from the staff of the venue, security personnel, the people around you or law enforcement.

Travel and Event Safety

Be Careful with Joint Travel Plans

Be careful when you plan a holiday, a camping trip, a city trip or a trip abroad with people you have met on Gezginsel. Travel is a process that requires trust and responsibility. Making a long journey in the same vehicle, staying in the same room or going to a remote area with a person you do not know well enough can be risky.

Before you make a trip plan, clarify the route, the type of accommodation, the transport, the costs, the participants and the emergency plan. Do not join organisations that are unclear, unplanned or that do not give you confidence.

Prefer Group Events

For first meetings, group Events, day trips, coffee meet-ups, city tours or open Events can be safer than one-to-one meetings. Choose Events where the number of participants, the venue, the time and the organisational details are clear.

If you feel uncomfortable at an Event you are attending, you can leave the organisation and report the User concerned through the Platform.

Be Careful When Sharing Your Accommodation Details

Your accommodation details, such as a hotel, a guesthouse, a campsite or a home share, are sensitive in terms of your personal safety. Do not share your room number, your full address or the fact that you will be staying alone with people you have just met.

Do not rush into staying in the same room, renting a place together or accepting private accommodation offers. It is recommended that you do not share accommodation before trust has been established.

Take Extra Precautions on Camping and Outdoor Events

Safety is even more important on camping trips, hikes, trekking, bicycle tours and similar outdoor Events. Research the area you are going to in advance, check the weather, find out about mobile phone coverage, and identify the people you can reach in an emergency.

Do not go to remote areas alone with people you have just met. For your first outdoor Events, prefer larger groups, well-known routes and trustworthy organisations.

Maps, Tracks and Location Data

Shared trails are tracks recorded by other Users; they are not an official route guide. Before you use a track, verify the area through independent sources, check the current weather and route conditions, and find out whether a permit is required for access.

The map display in the App is not navigation: it does not warn you when you leave the route, it does not give you directions, and it does not keep tracking your location when your phone screen turns off. Carry a printed map, a compass or a separate GPS device with you, and keep a backup for your phone’s battery.

For privacy reasons, the start and end points of shared tracks may have been trimmed; the point where the line begins may not be the actual trailhead.

Clarify Costs in Advance

In travel, Event or camping plans, discuss in advance how the transport, accommodation, food, ticket and other costs will be shared. Be careful with vague requests for money, last-minute payment pressure or requests for transactions to be carried out on your behalf.

Be sure before you accept that a person you do not know buys a ticket for you, makes a reservation on your behalf or carries out a financial transaction for you. If possible, make your own reservation and your own payment yourself.

Boundaries and Consent

Your Personal Boundaries Must Be Respected

Every form of communication established on Gezginsel must be based on mutual respect. No one can force you to talk, to meet, to go on a trip, to share photos, to send your location or to disclose your private information.

If a User does not accept your “no”, tries to persuade you, makes you feel guilty or puts pressure on you, this behaviour is not healthy. In that case you can end the communication, block the User and report them.

Be Careful When Sharing Photos and Content

Do not share your personal photos, your private images, your travel documents or images of your identity card or passport with people you do not know. Remember that the Content you share may be used outside your control.

Sharing another person’s photo, message, location or private information without permission is also contrary to the Gezginsel rules.

Do Not Allow Unwanted Advances

In face-to-face meetings, every kind of physical contact must be based on mutual consent. You do not have to accept any physical closeness that you do not want. If a person violates your boundaries, behaves insistently or makes you uncomfortable, leave the place and ask for help if necessary.

Alcohol, Substances and Personal Belongings

Know Your Limits

Alcohol and similar substances can affect your judgement. Take care not to put yourself in a situation during a meeting in which you cannot stay in control. If the other person is putting pressure on you to drink more alcohol than you want, to use substances or to behave in a way that reduces your control, end the meeting.

Do Not Leave Your Drinks and Belongings Unattended

Keep track of where your drink comes from and who serves it. Do not leave your drink unattended. Always keep your phone, bag, wallet, identity card, passport, hotel key card and other personal belongings with you.

Be especially careful to protect your personal belongings at crowded Events.

Safety on Trips Abroad

When you travel abroad, research in advance the local laws, cultural sensitivities, security situation and travel advisories of the country you are going to. Every country may have different rules on social relations, public behaviour, identity documents, accommodation, taking photographs and social sensitivities.

Keep your passport, visa, health insurance, emergency contact details and accommodation documents in a safe place. It can be useful to keep digital and physical copies of your documents in separate places.

When you meet people you have just met abroad, prefer public places, share your location with someone you trust, and take care not to go on your own to areas you do not know.

Discrimination and Inclusion

Gezginsel aims to be an inclusive community where people from different cultures, cities, lifestyles and identities can come together respectfully. Discriminatory, demeaning or exclusionary behaviour on the basis of race, ethnic origin, nationality, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, appearance or lifestyle is not permitted.

When you travel, it is important that you research the social and legal conditions of the country or region you are in. In an environment where you do not feel safe, you do not have to share your personal information, your orientation, your location or details about your private life.

Emergencies

If a situation you experience with someone you met on Gezginsel threatens your physical safety, your priority should not be to notify the Platform but to reach the emergency assistance and law enforcement units in the place where you are.

If you are in an emergency, move to a safe place, ask for help from the people around you and contact the relevant official authorities. Afterwards, you can report what happened to Gezginsel and help ensure that the necessary platform measures are taken.

A Final Reminder

The aim on Gezginsel is to build safe, respectful and enjoyable connections. Keep your excitement when you meet new people; but always put your safety first. You do not have to continue with any communication, meeting, Event or trip plan that does not feel right to you.

In any situation in which you feel uncomfortable, under pressure or unsafe, you can end the communication, block the User and report them to Gezginsel.

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