Nine Rules of Whale Safety

Share less about what you own and where you will be.

1. Look at what others can see.

   Review public wallet links, interviews, home photos and live travel posts. Agree privacy boundaries with family and staff; consider information held by service providers, too.

2. Share only what is needed.

   Someone arranging your car needs a pickup time, not your balance or full itinerary. Post trips after you leave.

3. Plan for old leaks.

   Deleting a post does not erase copied data. If an account is breached, check whether it exposed your home or movements.

Build in independent checks that you cannot simply bypass.

1. Separate spending from reserves.

   Keep routine funds available. For substantial reserves, consider independent approval and withdrawal restrictions with qualified help.

2. Check the shortcuts.

   Include recovery keys, account resets and instructions to assistants. Another device or property is not independent protection if you can retrieve it or order access.

3. Test recovery, too.

   Choose an arrangement you can maintain and recover if a signer or device is lost. Practise independent approval; recognising your voice does not prove you are acting freely.

Carry only the access you need. Remember what the screen can reveal, too.

1. Limit what the phone can reach.

   Keep everyday spending and unfamiliar apps away from reserves. Include your laptop, cloud backups and account recovery. Deleting a wallet app alone does not cut access.

2. Protect the recovery routes.

   Secure email, cloud accounts and password recovery. Use passkeys or strong two-step verification where supported, with tested backups.

3. Verify before acting.

   Check ordinary money requests through a separate, known contact route. Avoid showing balances or handing over an unlocked phone. A read-only portfolio can still reveal your wealth.

Strengthen the entrance. Agree what happens if it fails.

1. Review the whole entrance.

   Have a qualified installer assess doors, frames, locks and reachable windows. Include garages and shared-building access; keep fire exits usable. Review your workplace and accommodation, too.

2. Verify before opening.

   Use the intercom and an independently known contact. A uniform, your name or an expected delivery is not proof. Apply the same rule to hotel visitors.

3. Know who responds.

   Lighting, cameras and alarms need a response. Practise where to seek safety, how to call for help and who acts on an alert—including when you are away.

A lobby, a private room and a car are different decisions.

1. Choose a staffed public place.

   For people you are unsure of, choose a busy, staffed venue and arrange your own way home. Apply the same care to dates, introductions and business meetings.

2. Treat a venue change as a new decision.

   An invitation upstairs, into a car or to an afterparty is a fresh decision. A referral or previous successful meeting does not make the next setting safe.

3. Keep settlement separate.

   Avoid large-cash handovers and wallet demonstrations at introductory meetings. Use lawful, independently verified services; a successful small trade proves little about a larger one.

Vary familiar journeys. Pay attention at arrivals and departures.

1. Vary safely.

   Where practical, vary familiar times and routes while staying on sensible, well-used roads. Avoid creating a more isolated journey just to be unpredictable.

2. Check the pickup.

   Match the vehicle and driver to your booking; knowing your name is not enough. Check your surroundings before getting in or out. Plan the return before a night out.

3. Seek help if followed.

   Avoid going home or confronting the person. Seek a staffed, busy place and assistance. Share travel details privately with someone trusted.

Agree who notices, who acts and how to get help. Include someone outside the household.

1. Choose the right people.

   Include trusted family, carers and staff as appropriate. If a partner, relative or business associate is threatening you, seek confidential support outside that relationship.

2. Agree when someone acts.

   Agree visitor and child-pickup rules, check-ins and a backup contact. Rehearse what happens if you miss a check-in. Credible danger should not wait for a fixed deadline.

3. Practise an unusual money request.

   A genuine voice can still be speaking under coercion. A code word is one possible signal, not proof of safety. Seek professional help when danger is credible.

Survival comes first. No wallet can promise your release.

1. Protect life.

   Do not fight over property or attempt to disarm someone. Avoid sudden movements and seek help as soon as it is safe.

2. Understand the duress-wallet limits.

   A separate wallet intended for surrender may not satisfy an attacker who expects more or suspects hidden accounts. There is no reliable universal amount or promise of release.

3. Plan before a crisis.

   Discuss any duress wallet or alert system with a qualified adviser beforehand. People helping you should seek crisis advice before blocking transfers while anyone remains captive.

A payment, escape or release may not end the danger.

1. Take the warning seriously.

   Act on threats, attempted entry or suspected following, including from people you know. Do not meet a threatening counterparty alone to settle a dispute.

2. Get support from safety.

   From a safe place, seek medical care, police or specialist support as needed. Preserve evidence. Review where you stay and who can reach you; keep recovery arrangements private.

3. Secure access and keep checking.

   When safe, review exposed devices, accounts, keys and recovery access with trusted help. Include psychological support. Be wary of unsolicited offers to recover stolen funds.