So suppose that you’ve met this interesting guy on a dating site and you’ve been emailing each other for a few weeks. He hasn’t asked for your number yet, but you’re considering sending it to him in the hopes that he’ll call you. Which number should you give him? Your home number or your cell?

Obviously, safety comes first when you’re talking to someone online who you haven’t met yet. Because of this, it might be a better idea to give him your cell phone rather than your home number. Anyone who has your home phone number can easily look it up and find your address in seconds. If they can find that information, a scammer or other person with bad intentions could find out a lot more about you as well. It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s the reality that we all live in.

By the same token, caller ID services can reveal your home phone number to anyone you call. If you’d like to call people you don’t know from your home phone, you may want to talk to your phone company about blocking your number from other people’s caller ID.

Online dating can be fun and of course, the vast majority of people you’ll meet mean no harm. In fact, there are lots of really great people out there – but there are those with less honorable intentions, so keep your guard up while you’re meeting new people online.