UK Police Issue Warning Regarding ChatiW.com and ChatiB Chat Rooms

• Nov 2023: Chatiw attempted to curb abusive usernames by assigning generic names like ‘Man[number]’ and ‘Woman[number]‘ to users.
• This change was unannounced and led to confusion among users.
• Chatiw, linked with Chatib, known for unmoderated and potentially risky chat rooms, is flagged on police websites.
• 27/9/23: Chatiw temporarily shut down, later reopened.
• 10th Nov: Introduced generic usernames to mask potentially offensive ones, but real names were still visible in direct messages, not fully resolving the issue.
• The new username system negatively impacted site traffic and user engagement.
• The site reverted to original username functionality due to decreased user engagement and traffic loss.

What Happened to Chatiw and the Usernames? Reverting to Original Naming System, Update 10 January 2024

If you encounter persistent Cloudflare checkboxes that require you to prove you are a human to access a website, it typically indicates that the site is currently under attack from hackers or experiencing DDoS attacks. In response to these threats, the website has activated Cloudflare to filter incoming traffic, preventing the site from crashing or going offline. It is also probably an attempt the stop the spam bots, from posting on the site as the spam on the site is getting worse.

As of today, Chatiw has reverted to its original user-naming system, allowing users to choose their own usernames without automatic alterations. This change comes after a failed experiment in November 2023, where the site attempted to combat abusive usernames by assigning generic labels like ‘man12133’ and ‘woman1234’. While this approach initially masked potentially offensive usernames, it was ineffective in fully addressing the issue and led to reduced site usage. Consequently, Chatiw has now discontinued this experiment and reinstated the option for users to create their own usernames.

This change, while a step forward, still leaves room for unwanted exposure to inappropriate or predatory behaviour, because you can now message a predator without you even realising until they reply to you., I know most people use this site innocently to talk and be social and even flirt, I do not wish to spoil anyone’s fun I just want people to be safe online.

It’s a total disgrace that this site has not been closed down. Despite its anonymous nature, it is all working again. I am just perplexed about how they have managed to get it back up, messaging and running again. With so many different URLs, it’s confusing to track the many different sites. This website has many URLS in many different countries, thus having different website URLs not just in English-speaking countries but all over the world.

The Adverts are back on chat iw and the chatbot spam issue, so either the owner got a new AdSense account, got his block removed, or just changing the url has enabled the ads to be enabled.

Either way, it’s pretty poor from Google who clearly do not care and who are still financing this shocking site, so you will be wondering if anything has changed? NO, there are still people seemingly trading these illegal images openly.

Websites added to list of warning sites by Police

It is rare for the police to list websites by name on their website. On the list are a few sites I do not know. Here is the list

• Whatsapp
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Kik
• Grindr
• Chat Avenue
• ChatIW
• ChatIB
• Chatango
• HiFive
• Qeep

You can visit the North Yorkshire police page and source of this information here, however, I am glad they have done this it highlights what I have been saying for years that these chat apps can be dangerous.

Please tell me more about Chati-W?

This Chatiw service appeared in 2010 and was a good place for singles to meet other singles and was a great help to find new friends. It was different as it wasn’t the traditional chat site layout. I have seen this kind of service before. Many years ago, it was similar to an instant messenger setup with people’s names.

It had many different domains for each country, so people from their country could try to find local men or women to singles chat with.

This enables you to chat free online. At first, it was good men and women could even find love on this site. It was that good.

You click the notification to read the message and speak to them directly, then you get a notification of the message, and you think that the person they message will see their message.

Being a responsible chatroom website owner, I understand managing a chat room with an ocean of users can be a bit cumbersome. However, Chatiw takes it to a different level; it is totally unmoderated. This absence of any sort of censure turns it into a wild west of chat rooms, where people of any age, even children, can enter into communication with anyone else who messages them online. There is an 18-year-old age limit on a drop-down box, but since there is no enforcement, it’s logically pointless. The lack of fancy features and the absence of a friends or favorites list is disappointing.

Without the necessary knowledge and experience to safely navigate the site, especially for underage users, it can be quite a risky endeavour to engage in conversations on this platform due to its potential dangerous outcomes. Allowing users to moderate the chat room for you is not a reliable way of making your website safe and secure, much like Chatroulette, where the randomness could lead to an unpredictable mix of adults and children. While this international mingling is not the end of the world, as most people are able to have a normal conversation online, we also have to realise that some people will take advantage of this setup and use it to suit their own needs, like turning innocent webcam use to more sinister objectives.

This website did have an app, too but please be carful if you download chatiw app onto your phone.

Safety and Security on Chatiw

The website currently sits at the top of Google, which I assure you is not easy to do, especially among all the international chat rooms sites. This is how websites like this acquire their users. Not only that, but Google also pays them to run their ads, which provide the websites’ revenue. It’s nice to see that as of July 2023, the ad revenue for these chatrooms has been removed.

Tracing its roots back to the earlier days of chatroulette and other webcam-based platforms, the site has been running for well over 10 years now. Initially, I used it myself off and on, and it was a good chatting site. It quickly gained popularity and a large number of users, thousands each day from international regions. In fact, the website owner is turning over a good $10,000 a month in revenue, which may well shock some people. If you mentally added that up over ten years, I’m sure your chair would start feeling uncomfortable.

You may have seen Channel 4’s documentary about Chat Avenue, another one of the warning chat rooms sites, documentary about Chat Avenue which is also on the list of warning chat sites; Chatiw is likely to get its own series at this rate; I found the series interesting because I remember having a conversation with the owner of Chat Avenue, who was not bothered in the least. While I don’t know the owner of Chatiw, I get the same feeling.

Chatiw isn’t strictly a traditional chat room, like Chatroulette or even webcam-based platforms. There is no registration process, so there are no real profiles and no information is gathered. It doesn’t have any features other than a chat option.

5 Statistics about Chatiw

1. Chatiw has over 3 million users worldwide.
2. Approximately 70% of Chatiw users are between the ages of 18-34.
3. Chatiw offers chat rooms in more than 20 different languages.
4. On average, Chatiw sees over 1 million messages sent per day.
5. Users spend an average of 25 minutes per session on Chatiw, engaging in conversations with new people.

5 Facts about Chatiw

1. Chatiw is an online platform that allows users to chat and communicate with strangers from around the world.
2. The website provides a free chat service without the need for any registration or sign-up process.
3. Chatiw offers various chat rooms categorized by different interests and topics, such as sports, entertainment, or dating.
4. Users can send text messages, emojis, and even share files like images and videos within the chat interface.
5. Chatiw does not have any user safety protocols and if you look at the reviews for the site they are damning.

Reporting and Addressing Concerns with the Chat Website

The importance of reporting any suspicious or harmful activity on this chat website cannot be overstated. If you have any information about the site’s operations or have been a victim of scams, blackmail, or unwanted image sharing through its web chat, your report can make a significant difference.

• For Victims: If you’ve encountered any form of abuse or scam, it’s crucial not to remain silent. Inform your family and friends about the site’s risks and consider seeking legal assistance if you’re trying to recover funds.
• Reporting Mechanisms:
  • General Reports: You can report any website, not just chatiw or chatib chatrooms, using these links.
  • Specific Incidents: If you’ve had any suspicious interactions on the chat site, report them anonymously through the Internet Watch Foundation.
  • Crimestoppers: For anonymous reporting, contact Crimestoppers.
  • Direct Police Contact: If necessary, you can call the police at 101. Note that this requires providing personal details, which may not be comfortable for everyone.
• Read User Reviews: Gain insights from others’ experiences by reading reviews here.
• Avoid Direct Confrontation: While it’s natural to want to take action, please refrain from directly contacting the site’s owner or engaging in any form of vigilantism. These matters are best left to the authorities.
• Educational Resources: For more information on the dangers associated with chat rooms and how to navigate them safely, please read our detailed article here.

Remember, every report contributes to a safer online environment and helps in taking necessary actions against such sites. Your vigilance and proactive approach can help protect others in the online community.

Other frequently asked questions

What do you do if you get banned from these sites?

Help ive been banned is a question I see a lot normally most bans only last 24 hours on chatiw and chatib but if you need to get back on use your mobile phone network instead of your home wireless internet this will rotate your IP address and should get you back chatting

Will Support help me get unbanned?

If you need help with getting banned, don’t expect support to help you. You are causing so much trouble. You are banned. They are not going to solve it for you. No ban is for life. It will be lifted eventually. Also, try incognito if changing your Ip address doesn’t work. It’s actually quite rare to get banned there anyhow.

Can Chatiw and Chatib track users and me?

Its unlikely they can track you as the site has so many users, there would be a small window where peoples IP addresses would be stored

Why is chatiw always down or not working, or has it been closed?

The site is always being attacked and taken down. Also, the site is very popular, so the number of users is hard to manage on one site. The rooms have also had their ad revenue taken away, which maybe a factor.

Chatiw did seem to be closed for a period of around 4 months, I am not sure why but it has now come back live.

Is it safe to chat on Chatiw and Chatib?

The short answer is no, these websites have been highlighted by the police as posing a potential danger to users who use this

Are there undercover police on this website?

Yes I have seen newspaper stories and forum post about how Police have caught some of these people, engaging in illegal online activities via these 2 websites chatib and chatiw so be warned, which is good it is a shame they cannot focus on getting this chatroom closed though.