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The Natter Network

Safety & security

Your safety matters to us

No online service can remove every risk, and we would be wary of anyone who told you otherwise. What we can tell you is exactly what we do: every member is verified, telephone numbers stay private, calls are recorded, and concerns are looked into by real people.

Verified members only Private phone numbers Recorded calls

Every member is verified

Verification is not optional. Nobody is matched with anyone until they have completed the checks below — sign up, then verification, then matching, in that order. We hold the outcome of the checks, never your documents.

Identity or address verification

Carried out by our verification provider, Didit — either a passport or driving licence from the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, or a proof-of-address document such as a utility bill or bank statement together with a document showing the member's date of birth, so we know everyone here is 65 or over.

Liveness and face matching

A liveness check confirms a real person is present, not a photograph or recording, and their face is compared with the identity being submitted. Both have to pass.

Age and consistency checks

The Natter Network is for people aged 65 and over. The verified date of birth and name are checked against what the member told us; meaningful differences are held for a person to review.

Telephone verification

We ring the number on the account and ask for a code, so the number really does belong to the person using it.

Connection and location signals

We expect verification to come from the UK. An unexpected country or an anonymising connection such as a VPN sends the account to a person for review rather than straight through.

Previous exclusions

Where someone has been permanently removed, our systems can recognise an attempt to return under new account details. A new email address or phone number is not enough to start again.

No single check is relied on by itself. They all have to line up before an account is allowed into the network, and anything that doesn't add up is reviewed by a person.

Photo ID verified

This member verified a passport or driving licence from the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man with our verification provider, including a liveness check and a face match.

Address & age verified

Not everyone has a passport or a driving licence. This member verified a proof-of-address document plus a separate document showing their date of birth, which we read and check. It confirms an address and an age — it is not a photo-ID check.

Both routes include telephone verification, and both must be completed before anyone is introduced. The badge on a member's profile always tells you which route they took.

Your telephone number stays private

Members never receive each other's personal telephone number — not at any stage.

  • Every call is connected through the same private Natter Network number — nobody is ever given anyone else's real number.
  • When a connection ends — or you block someone — that person can no longer reach you through it. The number stays the same for everyone; it simply won't connect the two of you any more.
  • Members see a first name, an approximate age, an area and chosen interests. No surnames, addresses or email addresses, and nothing is sold to advertisers.

These protections apply within The Natter Network. There's no contract — you can cancel any time — but we suggest keeping your natters here, where calls stay recorded and your number stays private.

Calls are recorded

Calls made through The Natter Network are recorded, and both people hear a short spoken notice at the start of every call, so nobody is recorded without knowing.

Recordings exist for accountability. Conversations are never monitored live and recordings are not listened to as a matter of routine — our safety team accesses them when a report or a specific concern makes it necessary. Recordings are normally deleted automatically after 90 days, and kept longer only where they relate to an open safety case.

Blocking and reporting

You never need to be certain something is wrong before telling us, and you will never be in trouble for raising a concern.

Block anyone, instantly

Use Block in Connections. That person can no longer reach you through the number, is never suggested to you again, and is not told. No reason needed. In Settings you can also pause matching or close your account.

Reports go to real people

Choose Report someone in Connections, or email hello@thenatternetwork.co.uk, or call us on 01483 953968. Our safety team investigates using the information available, including call recordings where appropriate. Anything involving money, threats or pressure can suspend an account immediately.

Designed to deter scammers

If you're here to scam someone, don't.

The Natter Network is for genuine people having genuine conversations. Fraud, financial exploitation, impersonation and manipulation are strictly prohibited.

We have deliberately made that behaviour hard to carry out: members are verified, telephone numbers are protected, calls are recorded and reports are investigated. Accounts involved in suspected fraud or abuse may be suspended or permanently removed, and serious matters — with the relevant records — may be referred to law enforcement or other appropriate authorities.

A few simple rules to remember

Our safeguards do a great deal; these four habits protect you wherever you are.

Never send money

Nobody you meet here should ever need money from you.

Never share banking or security details

No card numbers, PINs, passwords or one-time codes — to anyone, for any reason.

Be careful with urgent requests

A sudden emergency that needs money is a warning sign. Stop, and tell us.

If something feels wrong, say so

Uncertainty is a perfectly good reason to report something.

Topics to avoid

Friendly calls never need any of the following. Please keep these to yourself:

  • Money, or financial details of any kind
  • Bank details or payment information
  • Your exact home address
  • Your full date of birth
  • Passwords or account details for anything

If someone brings up any of these, please end the call straight away and contact us — you don't need to explain why. They won't have your real phone number or your exact address, so ending the call keeps you safe. We'll look into it.

Considering The Natter Network for someone you care about?

It's a fair question to ask: who exactly is my mum or dad going to be talking to?

The answer is: another verified member, aged 65 or over, whose identity and telephone number we have checked. Your relative's own number is never handed over, calls are recorded, and they can block anyone or report a concern to a real person at any time.

Families can set up and help manage a profile, and the member themselves confirms by telephone that they are happy to take part before any matching begins.

If something goes wrong

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. To report a scam, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. For urgent emotional support, Samaritans are available day and night on 116 123.

How we handle verification data, call recordings and information requests is set out in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.