Be Careful Who You Give Your Phone Number Out To When Using An Online Dating Service

There are many online dating services, which can be very useful for people who are interested in finding new friends, casual dating, or a long term relationship. However, even though these services can be a beneficial way to jump start your love life, you need to be very careful when you communicate with the people you meet on these online dating sites.

For instance, until you are comfortable with the person you meet, you should never give out your phone number or any personal details including your home or work address. All initial communication should be done via email or through an instant messaging system such as Windows or Yahoo! messenger.

Why should you be so cautious? Think about it, you don't know anything about the person you are talking to, they are a stranger. Therefore, you shouldn't trust that everything they are telling you is the truth. You need to take the time to get to know a person, before you can make any determination about how valid your first online impression of their character is in comparison to reality.

How can you protect yourself when using online dating services? The following are some safety tips you can put into practice:

Don't volunteer information - Never reveal the exact location of where you live or work. Provide general information such as the name of the city you live in. If you live in a small town that is part of a larger city, tell the person you live in the larger city.

Use VoIM for conversations - If instant messaging (IM) isn't enough, and the person insists on speaking with you, suggest you first talk using VoIM (Voice over Instant Messaging). All you will require is the same IM service, a computer compatible headset or microphone and speakers.

Meet in a public place - Your first few meetings should take place in public locations, such as a coffee shop, movie theatre, restaurant, mall, etc. Furthermore, you should never agree to have your date pick you up or take you home until you get to know them better and wish to pursue the relationship. Always find your own way there, and your own way home.

Tell someone where you are going and what time you should be back - Before you meet the person for the first few times, tell a friend or family member where you are going, who you will be with, and what time you intend to come home. If you decide to change your plans and stay out later, be sure to call.

Give out your cell number first - If you decide to give your phone number to the person, give your cell number and not your home number. The reason is because a cell phone number is harder to trace back to an address.

Have a specific phone line for online dating. You can obtain a specific phone line for online dating if this will make you feel safer. There are different companies that can provide you with this convenience such as Bring.com.

Last, but not least, a good way to discover more about the person you are communicating with is to find out more about a phone number they provide you with by using a reverse phone lookup.

Dan Krasky writes informative articles about telecommunications and phone numbering.

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