I hate to be naive here, but what is the actual danger in giving out your number? Serious question. If someone was offensive, or not what/who I thought I could block them. But I'm new to this.
I was recently having a pleasant conversation over a few days with a member. If he had asked for my number I probably would have given it. But he asked for Snapchat or Telegram, which seemed odd. After researching and learning these are able to delete messages leaving no record I decided to say no, then he ghosted so... I dunno.
@AimeeJ Welcome to the site! I LOVE YOUR HAIR!! 💕💗😊
I am by no means an expert on internet security, but our moderators like @Sideon and @CharlieBear as well as lots of people in the community with their tech savvy selves, have cautioned about giving out your phone number to strangers on the internet. Here's a fabulous resource. https://www.cuddlecomfort.com/forum/discussion/14373/meeting-somebody-from-the-internet-safety-precautions/p1
A big major thing.... if they ask for money, become agressive or sexual in messages, you can report them to the moderators and they will be able to EASILY ban them and keep them from targeting other people. It also helps to keep our community more in tune with what we are all hoping to achieve... Safe, platonic connections.
Another thing is identity theft.
Anyone can find out a LOT of information about you like your full name, your address and ALL SORTS of other things. While cuddling is fabulous, and you can meet a lot of GREAT PEOPLE... there are also some people that take advantage of people especially when they are grieving (I'm sorry to hear about your situation in life...)
For those two reasons alone, I wait to give out my number until I know more about them or meet them and decide its a good fit.
I guess I'm also a little protective of my time and when someone has my number, but we don't have a good friendship, it can be a little draining as well. Everyone is different.... but that's some of my reasoning.
@Katota ❤
@sillysassy This is such a great post and something I will save and use when needed, if that’s OK.
The first thing I did when I joined and became a Pro was to get a Google Voice number. I recommend to everyone to be very protective of all personal information and provide only on a ‘need to know’ basis. IMO it’s never necessary to give out your full name, it’s not relevant in social media! Another precaution is to not use your same photographs on multiple websites. In other words, pictures you use here on your profile should not be used on Facebook because people can do image searches.. unfortunately Facebook usually has our full names. In messages here, there have always been a few who immediately want a phone number. I explain the CC rules to them, if they continue to insist, I have to end the conversation.
@achetocuddle - I should put "don't be too hard on me" in my signature.
@AimeeJ You give someone your phone number it turns unpleasant so you block them. They contact you from a different number, block, another, block... You finally have to change your phone number that you've had for a decade because of an unpleasant creepy person.
Oh and there are ways to look up phone numbers that show the name, address, and other info of a person.
Using something like Google voice, you can easily request a new number without having to contact all your family and friends and your number isn't tied to a lot of your information too.
@sillysassy Thanks so much😊 I've thought about removing that info thinking it might make me look vulnerable. And I have a need to give as much as receive.
You've all given me much to think about, thank you for the replies. I will definitely try a Google number again. I haven't used it in about 10 years because it wasn't a very stable connection back then.
Why do the big bad wolves have to ruin all the squishy fun 🤪🤗
It’s interesting. I don’t seem to see anyone in favor of giving their actual number out. Google voice yes but not their actual number. Yet, there was a post recently where several people felt that clients should be willing to send/show them their ID. Someone having your ID/DL information seems far more potentially dangerous than a phone number. Thoughts?
@sillysassy respectfully I disagree with your take. As someone who has hired a pro, I try to get to text as soon as we are confirmed. The reason is because sometimes messageson platform potentially holding crucial information about the appointment may be received slowly or not at all. As a man on this site I've learned that it is almost impossible to make last minute appointments so if I get word late of a cancelation etc due to it moving through the platform I'm pretty much stuck in a hard place with not being able to refill that time, hotel costs etc
@kleenkutt14 I can 100% appreciate that working with a Pro is a totally different experience. And I can certainly imagine how challenging it must be for both sides with last minute changes/cancellations.
For me as a woman and an enthusiast it’s just a safety measure that has worked this far and it also lets me see who is trying to push me to do things that might not be what I want.
I know we all have different needs and I was only trying to relate to both the Deleted OP and @AimeeJ as women and with an enthusiast perspective.
@Morpheus I know there was a huge thread and discussion about Drivers license exchange and redaction etc that y’all were a part of and that seems to be talked about a LOT over there.
What seems to be clear is people have their specific reasons and they work through the pile of options to find someone who matches what they each need. And I feel the same way about my needs. If it doesn’t match with someone else, then “Thank You for the clarity. Next Please.” There’s no one singular right way to approach it.
Thank goodness there are a million different types. 😊☀️🌼
@Morpheus Except most people wanting to see ID are fine with everything else being redacted except name and picture so... 🤷♀️
Also, I have friends off here that only have my Google voice number, a few that have both and we still use Google voice because I tend to ignore my regular texts. 🤣
I’m a pro and what I do is message them that I’ll book a TeNtAtive appointment one month from today @ 4:01 am — but let them know I’ll switch it to the correct date (tomorrow or whenever) after we speak and agree that we’re a good fit.
So after they accept that first tentative date, they can now send their number. And I may or may not change it to an actual session date depending on how the call went.
I also just got a burner number which is $5 a month in case I ever have any problems.
I’ve found that speaking with them prior gives them a connection and they’re less likely to flake.
So far, I’ve never had anyone totally flake and not confirm. (They’ve of course cancelled every once in a while but I always receive notice)
I’ve also found that some people never get to doing the screening call which is better for me because I’d rather not have a flake taking up a time slot in my school/cuddle/other job calendar.
However, I scrutinize every profile and actually have very limited time to do potential sessions and I can rarely accommodate same day appointments that people are requesting when they message, so I don’t really have to do very many phone calls.
I can’t imagine booking an actual session time without doing a phone call.