Chatting safely on Aven
The mentor program is built to be trustworthy for students and parents. Here's exactly how it works.
You stay anonymous by default
Your real name and email are never shown to a mentor. In chat, you appear as a generated handle (e.g. "Student 4821"). Mentors' professional identities are shown, since that's the point of a verified mentor — but you stay anonymous unless you choose to share more yourself.
Every chat starts with a safety notice
Before any new or resumed conversation, you'll see a short reminder: Aven connects you with mentors but isn't responsible for what's discussed. Never share payment details or agree to move a conversation off-platform. If a mentor asks for money or favors, report it immediately — with a screenshot if you can.
Mentors are reviewed before they go live
Every mentor profile is checked by our team, including identity and address verification, before it's visible to students. You can read more about how we handle that review in our Privacy Policy.
Moderation
For safety, Aven's admin team can view mentee↔mentor conversations and step in when needed. Chat is anonymous from the mentor's side, but it is not private from Aven's own moderation.
Something feel off? Report it.
If a mentor asks for money, tries to move the conversation off-platform, or makes you uncomfortable in any way, use the Report this mentor option in chat, or the form below — include a screenshot if you have one.
Report a problem →