Not just to look for a girlfriend, but to outright sexually harass girls on the site. I think that it is a minority of people who do it, but unfortunately they make a real nuisance of themselves. If I get the chance, I tell girls that are new to the site that they should only text or use audio with men that they meet on the site for the first several intercambios. Most of the creeps react negatively to this, but at least you know who you are dealing with.

Don't feel guilty ignoring messages from people who aren't learning or who don't speak your target language. I ignore both men and women because I often just don't have time to help many people. And because I don't want to give someone the opportunity to harass me. Michaels advice to use only written and audio contact is good advice to sift through and recognize the losers. Good luck!!

Fernanda, I'm a blunt individual and I personally believe that such people are disgusting and should be banned from this website. You can help make this happen by flagging or reporting these people for this type of behavior. That's what I would do. I frequently get spam from "students" who want to know more about me personally and they ask that I contact them by Skype so we can get to know each other better. I report these people to italki Tech Support as spammers and for inappropriate behavior. You could and should do the same. I don't know what italki does about such reports, but I hope they do something. Otherwise, what good is the Flag/Report button provided in such communications. You can also simply BLOCK such people and I assume they cannot communicate with you again. Do not give our your Skype ID to anyone that you have not "vetted" as a legitimate and serious student. Or their harassment may carry over into your non-italki personal life.

This situation seems to occur quite frequently as indicated by the number of discussions on the subject. I have a few suggestions which may be helpful to “screen” potential language exchange partners before someone agrees to Skype with them: 1) Check to see if they take lessons -- this would indicate they’re serious about learning their target language. (Of course, many people can’t afford lessons so it’s not foolproof). 2) Check to see if they assist others on iTalki by correcting their notebook entries. If they’re willing to help others, they’re serious. 3) Check to see if they have initiated discussion topics or contributed to them. Unfortunately, there’s no way to screen any messages someone may send you. My recommendation is simply to not reply to someone looking to “date” you. Hope this helps.

Pick who you are going to talk with very carefully. If you have any doubts, don't reply. Keep trying until you find a person you like. If you aren't interested in talking to a person, don't reply. I have gotten people like that, just stop talking to them and they will give up. Even if you feel bad about it, it's better than wasting your time on someone who isn't interesting in learning.