Now that we use our phones for everything from communicating to reading the news, it’s no surprise that dating has become almost fully mobile as well. While there are tons of ways to use your phone to date, chat lines are among the most common. It’s how folks can connect with singles in their area. However, these singles are essentially strangers at first, and there’s always the chance of getting scammed on a chat line by someone seeking to get you to spill details about your private information. We don’t want that to happen to you and are going to give you tips on how to identify a chat line catfish and how to play the phone dating game the smart way.

The term catfishing is relatively new, brought about by a popular documentary and TV show. It essentially means that someone is misrepresenting themselves either to seem more attractive or for more sinister reasons. Obviously, chat lines aren’t a visual medium, so most of the catfish on the line are looking to take your personal information. This is especially awful because these people know that daters are already in a vulnerable position with feelings on the line, and they are looking to take advantage of that.

1. They aren’t interested in ever meeting in person: The whole point of using a chat line is to start a relationship. People might want to go on several phone dates before agreeing to meet up or FaceTime, but that is ultimately the goal. So if your date never wants to meet up or video chat with you, it could mean that they have no real intention of dating you and are on the line for other reasons. That reason might not be a scam, but it also might not be best for you in the long run regardless.

2. They ask for personal information: This is the biggest phone dating red flag. There is no reason why anyone on a chat line should want to know anything too personal. Now, your chat line date might ask some deep questions to get to know you, but personal info is different. Personal information refers to any financial info, your home address, or key details about your life that you wouldn’t normally share on a first date. If someone is pushy about getting this information out of you, block and report them.

3. They are vague about what they share about themselves: Scammers are not on chat lines to start relationships or make friends. Chances are that they’ve made up a backstory to hook you in. But made-up backstories don’t often have intricate details. If you find that your chat line date seems suspiciously vague, that’s something to be very wary of.

This is tricky but simple at the same time. Because your feelings are involved and you are hoping to make a genuine connection, your rational brain might be sitting on the sidelines while you are dating, but you have to keep your guard up until you can fully trust someone. So lookout for the signs like someone asking for money or personal information. And never give out anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable with a stranger knowing. Keep your private information to yourself while you are dating and the scammer won’t have any way of getting to it! This is the best way to protect yourself while chat line dating.