How to Decide to Share Your Phone Number Online

In cyberspace, misrepresentation is common. Take your time before revealing your address or phone number to an online sweetheart. If the relationship has real potential, your partner will understand and support your cautious approach.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access
• E-mail Accounts
• Computers

1. Keep your cool when you discover a possible love interest online.

2. Stick to e-mail and chat sessions, some in public rooms, for several weeks.

3. Explore your partner's religious beliefs, politics, life goals and family obligations. Evaluate his or her willingness to offer specific responses to questions.

4. Determine if he or she accepts any responsibility for failures in past relationships.

5. Watch for exaggerations or evasiveness during chat sessions.

6. Save your partner's e-mail and check it for contradictions as the weeks go by.

7. Once you feel comfortable, ask if you can call the person's workplace. Explain that this step is just a precaution, but use the opportunity to verify your online partner's identity and honesty.

8. Exchange phone numbers only when you are confident that your partner is trustworthy.

9. Do not give the person your address until the two of you have actually met.

10. Move on if at any point your intuition tells you to do so.

Tips & Warnings

• Generally, men should be the first ones to reveal their phone numbers and addresses, but they need to be cautious as well.
• When exchanging photos, send them as attachments to e-mail, fax them to workplaces, or mail them to post office boxes.
• Always err on the side of caution. Impulsiveness has led naive online lovers into rapes, assaults, robberies and even murders. There is no rush.
• If your partner criticizes you for going slowly and being hesitant to reveal your phone number and address, that's not a good sign. Your lover may actually be a "cyberpath."

[josiebeth]

on 8/2/2009 Don't. If you are potentially interested in someone meet them in a very public place for coffee. Please read my article: http://www.ehow.com/how_5250131_tell-youre-date-crazy-person.html
It's written in a funny way but really online dating can be very dangerous. Don't give out your number. If you must talk to the person before meeting - use Skype, AIM or some other chat service, and make sure your information is marked private. It is easy to gain the trust of a person looking for love. I have been that person. Email communication can become very personal, and false inamacy can develop quickly. Always be safe. There are some dangerous people out there!

[ctigrad]

on 7/2/2008 Try a service called Face2Fone (http://www.face2fone.com). You can actually talk to a person you meet online WITHOUT sharing your phone number. It really works!

on 11/22/2005 I had really badly stained nicotine walls. What I did was I bought a new bug sprayer dispenser, and purchased the one gallon size of Mean Green cleaner (I found mine at Dollar General for $5). I filled the sprayer with cleaner to about 3/4 full then filled to the top with hot water, then shook well. I vacuumed the walls and ceiling, then I got a roll of oil dry paper towels (this will soak up all the excess water that pours down the walls and wont get your carpets wet). I put the sprayer on the setting to where it sprays a medium mist, I started at the top and did a section across about the length of one arm, go slowly where it saturates the wall, then turn up the setting then hurry up and get back to the top and go slow it just melts the grime, grease and nicotine. Then get terry towels and start at the top and go over it till it's dry. They come out sparking clean. I had full gloss white painted walls, it worked wonders for me!
I also did my fake plant arrangements and mini blinds with the same solution and sprayer, but put the solution on them outside then rinsed them off with a water hose and air dry them.

on 11/22/2005 If at all possible, get the other person's number, and *67 before you call so they can't see your number. Do this until you actually meet. I had a guy track down my house and show up using only my number and the Internet! Talk about creepy!

on 11/22/2005 When sharing phone numbers becomes an issue, why not share the cell number. The other person can still reach you, but the phone itself is not "attached" to your home. This makes it far less dangerous, especially if your cell has Caller ID.