Yes, I have had this happen a lot. People just want your phone number because they don't want to use the site. Then they want to ask questions like where you are from. I guess so they can research you. I am real leery about giving out my email and phone numbers. All kinds of scammers out there.

Scammers and predators ask for personal info such as your email address. Be smart and do not give this info out to anyone.

Don't give out your real information. Give a dummy email address that you rarely use and ensure it is not linked to anything. If they disappear they were probably a scammer. Try to interact with someone for at least a full month of back to back conversation on the site. If it is real then ask to skype. It is more efficient and will reassure you both.

Of course it's a scam if they disappear after you give them your email address. So, don't give personal details to anyone you don't know, particularly here where there are so many scammers. However, if you feel you want to contact people away from the site, then set up a different email address that you don't use for any other purpose apart from here. The comparison to stores requesting details is spurious as it's all about context. Stores need these details to verify your credit-worthiness during a financial transaction to combat fraud, whereas total strangers who may not be - and often are not - who they appear to be need contact details within the context of dating. Therefore, they will have to make do with your different email account for online dating, and which you can always delete when you're no longer active on such sites.

This is a highly common PHISHING scam and its also very famous at craigslist. People are gathering your personal info to SELL to advertising factions. Things like your PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL ADDZRESS, and even your PHOTO are highly questionable in most circumstances as these can also be used to CREATE A FAKE ICON ACCOUNT AT OTHER DATING SITES.

My own approach is too KEEP THE CONTACT & CONVERSATION AT THAT HOSTING SITE ONLY until some real time and discussion has passed. Real people are always tolerant and comfortable with this while most scammers just get pushy about it.

Do not give out your email, phone number etc. until you have met the person and you both agree to see each other again.

As devils advocate I'd like to play for the other side here. There can be other reasons for asking for personal information such as your phone number, e-mail, last name. Phone number - texting, I'm sure many of you have experienced issues with OKC going down unexpectedly or screwing up your profile so you lose contacts, it's also just easier to text than to open the app constantly. Your last name - as a woman this is a safety issue for me, if I'm going to meet someone I want to know their last name so I can let someone know who I'll be with just in case, I can also google the name and hopefully see if they are a real person, you can't be too careful. E-mail, same reasons for the phone number if you aren't actually giving your number. And keep in mind that you give this information out constantly, to shop on-line, to store clerks, to customers in your business. None of this is hard information to get and is not usually information you'd flinch at offering. You have to decide if you trust your matches or not, if you do, can you offer them less than you would offer the cashier at Below the Belt?
Saying that, do be careful who you trust. If people ghost on you yes that's a problem. Don't offer the kind of information that is really private like credit cards, SIN, and I'd be careful about my address, not because of scammers but because of stalkers. If you want, open a new e-mail address that you only use for things like this, that doesn't have any of your personal contacts or information linked to it. Use your judgement but don't freak yourself out too much.

Yes. It creates a more "personal" mode of communication. Pulling you into their scam plan.

It could because people are trying to scam you out of money for your email. When people romance you on messages, they quickly ask on email. Once they get you alone on personal email, its about the money.

Or they could try to search for you on social networks or google your email.

A lot of what happens is common sense. In this case, I'd be suspicious of a request for e-mail address and then disappearing. Why ask to begin with.

OK CUPID is an ideal environment for scams. Since you can't read someone's intentions, play it safe.

Umm, I would not give anyone my personal email until you have actually spoke to them and I would say yes. Its a good site but you DO need to use caution as you would anywhere