How to Know If a Woman Gave You a Fake Number

You cannot be sure a number is real until you text or call it, and the sooner you do, the sooner you know. The good news is that you can often read the odds before she walks away. On a video breakdown of a real number close, our coach points to one sign in particular: she double-checked the digits. Women do not double-check a number that is not theirs, so a woman who reads it back to make sure you got it right wants to hear from you.

In that same breakdown the coach lists what made it a solid number. These are the signs to look for.

• She led the close, or met you halfway. She was not simply reacting to your request.
• The vibe was good the whole way through, not only at the end.
• You were already talking about plans. The number was a way to set one up, not a goal by itself.
• She double-checked her digits.

When you see most of those, you are holding a good number. When you see none, you are holding a hope. A number you asked for out of nowhere, after a short and flat conversation, is the kind that tends to be fake.

Our coaches describe three results of asking for a number without a good interaction behind it. One is a rejection. One is a totally fake number to make you go away. One is a flaky number that never texts back.

A fake number is wrong on its face. The text bounces, the call goes to a stranger, or the line is dead. A flaky number is real, and she simply does not answer or never makes a plan. A polite no is a real number she gave to end the conversation kindly.

You will not always tell the second and third apart, and you do not need to. The next step is the same for both: one good text, one clear invitation, and then you let it go.

If you can, make sure the number works while she is still standing there.

One of our coaches tells a story of a loud club where he needed a woman's friend's number. He had the friend type it into his phone and called it on the spot. It was a wrong number. He asked her to enter it again, called again, and counted the number as real only when the second call connected.

You do not need a loud club to do the same. Call her phone before you part and watch whether it lights up. It takes ten seconds and removes the question. If she hesitates about it, you have also learned something about the number.

Our material on asking for numbers is plain about the cause. Asking for a number without a good interaction is almost destined for rejection, a fake number or a flaky one. He says he never starts a conversation with the aim of getting a number. He starts it to meet her and find out whether you are a good fit. He only asks for a number when logistics leave no other option, such as when she is on her way to meet a friend or he is running to a meeting.

So the cure is usually upstream. Have the conversation first. Aim for one that could lead to a date right then. And ask in a way that assumes you will both see each other again, something like "what's your number?" instead of "can I have your number?" The first treats it as settled. The second hands her a yes or no.

If the text bounces or the call reaches someone else, take it as her answer. Do not try to chase her through friends or other places. Move on.

If the number is real and she is just quiet, send one text that gives her something easy to answer. Keep it light and refer to what you actually talked about. Then make a plain invitation with one place and one time, such as a coffee on a day you already know you are free. One more text after that is fine. After that, she has had her chance, and so have you.

A coach on one of our reaction videos says many men avoid following up for a simple reason. They enjoy the feeling of having a number, and they do not want to find out it is flaky or fake. They want to keep the good feeling. That coach says following up by text and phone is exactly what separates the men who move forward from the average ones.

Text the number. You will either get a date or a clear answer, and both are better than a number sitting unused in your phone.