Phone Numbers Spelled Out

Why do so many providers spell out or obfuscate their phone numbers in their ads, particularly on Backpage? For example, instead of entering straightforward 816-555-1234 (fictitious, btw) they will mix numbers and words, or intersperse spaces, or hearts, or whatever.

Example: 816-5five5-one2three4

Maybe they do it because it cuts down on search engine hits for the phone number? In that case, that's a red flag to me. Only someone who has a reputation for fake pics or lousy service would want to avoid web searches or reviews. A good, trustworthy provider would encourage reviews and web searches, or at least not try to thwart them, and would appreciate hobbyists who do their homework. In my opinion.

What is your opinion?

Also so their families or maybe kids old enough or cops cant search the phone #...I don't do that with my number anyways, I like guys to be able to search for my reviews... just givin some insight... think outside the box babe..not everythings a conspiracy teehee jus teasin ;P

Well from my experience....I started doing that because I didn't want my family to find out what I was doing.
Also I wasn't smart enough to you know get a different phone and number for hobnobbing.

But I learned I wanted guys to find my reviews and that I am a real person.
...
...

Another reason this is done is to keep bots from picking up the phone number, adding it to a phone number list and it then being sold to mass-marketers. This happens routinely. That's why I never put my real email address out there on the internet.

I thought it was so you couldn't find they had multiple ads

I always thought they were just trying to be cute...shows how stupid I am, but damn you're hot Bailey!

Beauty and brains in the same tight little package...DYNOMITE!

Why do so many providers spell out or obfuscate their phone numbers in their ads, particularly on Backpage? For example, instead of entering straightforward 816-555-1234 (fictitious, btw) they will mix numbers and words, or intersperse spaces, or hearts, or whatever.

Example: 816-5five5-one2three4

Maybe they do it because it cuts down on search engine hits for the phone number? In that case, that's a red flag to me. Only someone who has a reputation for fake pics or lousy service would want to avoid web searches or reviews. A good, trustworthy provider would encourage reviews and web searches, or at least not try to thwart them, and would appreciate hobbyists who do their homework. In my opinion.

What is your opinion? Originally Posted by WhiteGentleman

The practice originated on Craigs List, because phone numbers were not allowed. If a provider entered her full phone number, the add would be deleted. So a mixture of numeric characters and written numbers was used to get around CL's censors.

Why it continues even on BP and here where it is not necessary? Who knows. Habit? An ineffective attempt at preventing phone numbers from being Googled? Perhaps.

When I see new providers use the mixture of characters and words, I am reminded of a funny Thanksgiving story. New bride calls up her mother on T-Day and boastfully tells her that she prepared the turkey exactly like her mother prepared it, down to remembering to put the dish drainer over the top of the turkey overnight. Mother bursts out laughing, and explains that the reason she covered the turkey with the dish drainer was to keep the cat from getting it.

In other words, I think new providers do it because they see other women doing it, without really knowing why, and assume that is how its done. I could be entirely wrong of course

A lot of scammers will spell out the numbers to keep the result level from a search engine down.

Most girls who do that are just that, girls....young girls who think its cute....just like they think its cute to add all the other crap to the title of their ads.

And some ladies will do it to keep bad reviews from coming up.

Guys just need to do their research properly.

I thought it was their Pimp posting their ads for them. just trying to make the ad look wordy and cute.
just like seeing posting on BP now that have two phone number's in the listing. same number in both and one different number in both... just look for location area Raytown / SKC
all I can say is Really....

I think its a monkey see monkey do thing too. What's funny is that even if you try to disguise it from bp, if its posted on any other site its still going to pull up the number during a google search. When I first posted on bp I thought you had to disguise it also. Bp is just annoying to look through with all the fuckin symbols. And you can always tell bp girls on eccie cuz of the stupid symbols. I love it when girls can't spell or make complete sentences or use correct punctuation. And I mean like NEVER! Research does wonders and weeds out the idiots, for all of us.

I was always under the impression it was an anti-number harvesting measure.

Because girls don't want you to search their number in google.
Easier to do it that way then have someone see all your bad reviews.

Because girls don't want you to search their number in google.
Easier to do it that way then have someone see all your bad reviews. Originally Posted by CarpalTunnel

Ok, but any idiot can just translate the disguised number to the regular number and google it. So that is pointless. I mean, you guys do that, right???

I personally did it a few years ago when I only had one phone line, so that if my parents or friends who were not aware of my being an escort could not google my phone number and see a bunch of escort ads. I no longer spell it out though, as I have a personal and a business line now.

Ok, but any idiot can just translate the disguised number to the regular number and google it. So that is pointless. I mean, you guys do that, right??? Originally Posted by Gemma34

It's a pain in the ass to do it. If I see a number like that, I skip over the entire ad. 90% of the time when you decipher it and google it bad reviews or multiple names pop up. Learned my lesson thanks.