Community & Safety Guidelines

1. Our promise

We built Vellum so people — especially women — can meet others without being exposed, harassed, or spammed. You start invisible, men are verified before they can reach you, requests are filtered, and AI checks messages for scams and harassment in real time. These guidelines set the standard of behaviour we expect from every member. They form part of, and should be read with, our Terms of Service.

2. Adults only (21+)

Vellum is strictly for adults aged 21 and over. You must not use Vellum if you are under 21, and you must never invite, encourage, or help a minor to use it. Any account suspected of being underage is flagged for review and removed. Full details are in our Age & Consent Policy.

3. Respect & no harassment

Treat every member the way you would want to be treated. We do not tolerate:

• Harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, or bullying;
• Hate speech or attacks based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any protected characteristic;
• Unsolicited sexual content, sexual pressure, or degrading language;
• Repeated unwanted contact after someone has stopped responding or blocked you.

“No” — or silence — is a complete answer. Respect it. Men complete a Respect Check before they can reach other members; failing to live up to it has consequences.

4. No solicitation or scams

Vellum is for genuine connection, not commerce or fraud. You must never:

• Ask for or offer money, gifts, gift cards, cryptocurrency, bank details, or investment “opportunities”;
• Advertise escorting, prostitution, or any commercial sexual service;
• Run romance scams, phishing, catfishing, or pressure anyone to move to another platform to be defrauded;
• Promote products, services, recruitment, or send spam.

Never send money to someone you met online, no matter the story or the urgency — this is the single most common scam pattern.

5. Be real: authenticity & verification

• Use recent, genuine photos of yourself. No impersonation, no stolen images.
• One account per person. No fake, bot, or duplicate profiles.
• Complete verification honestly. Phone and selfie verification (and, for men, a Respect Check) build your Trust Passport and unlock the ability to reach others. Verification reduces risk but is not a background check — always use your own judgement.

6. Consent & privacy

• Never share, screenshot, or re-post another member’s photos, messages, or private information off Vellum.
• Never share intimate images without the depicted person’s clear consent. Non-consensual intimate imagery is banned and may be reported to authorities.
• Respect location privacy. Vellum shows approximate distance only; do not pressure anyone to reveal their exact location or address.

7. Prohibited content & behaviour

The following are never allowed on Vellum:

• Any content that sexualises, endangers, or depicts minors — this results in an immediate ban and, where required, a report to authorities;
• Non-consensual, exploitative, or violent sexual content;
• Threats of violence, self-harm encouragement, or content promoting terrorism or crime;
• Illegal goods or services, including drugs and weapons;
• Attempts to bypass safety, verification, moderation, or visibility controls;
• Scraping, automated access, or overloading the Service.

8. How we moderate

Vellum uses layered safety tooling: verification gates before men can reach members, request filtering and ranking instead of an open inbox, and real-time AI moderation that scores messages for scams and harassment. Our safety team reviews reports and flagged content. Moderation is done on a reasonable-efforts basis — it makes Vellum safer but cannot catch everything, so your own judgement still matters.

9. Reporting & blocking

If something feels wrong, act on it. You can block anyone instantly — blocked members never appear to each other again — and you can report a member or a specific message. When you report, recent messages can be attached as evidence so our safety team can review what happened. Reporting is confidential; we do not tell the other person who reported them.

Please report scams, harassment, underage accounts, impersonation, and anything that made you feel unsafe. You can also email safety@vellum.club.

10. Meeting in person safely

• Chat within Vellum until you feel comfortable — there is no rush.
• Meet in a public place the first few times, and tell a friend where you will be.
• Arrange your own transport so you can leave whenever you want.
• Keep your exact home and work locations private until you trust the person.
• Trust your instincts — if something feels off, leave. Your safety comes first.

If you are ever in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first, then tell us at safety@vellum.club.

11. Consequences

Breaking these guidelines has consequences. Depending on severity and history, we may warn you, limit your visibility or reach, remove content, suspend your account, or permanently ban you. Serious violations — including anything involving minors, non-consensual imagery, threats, or fraud — result in an immediate ban and may be reported to law enforcement. These decisions are made at our reasonable discretion to protect the community.

12. Contact the safety team

Questions, concerns, or something you need to report outside the app? Reach our safety team at safety@vellum.club. For account or general help, contact support@vellum.club.