Sweetheart Checks

Michigan lawmakers voted 75-14 this week to approve a bill by Rep. Jim Howell, R-St. Charles, requiring Internet matchmakers to prominently disclose whether criminal background checks have been made. The bill was introduced at the request of Herb Vest, a Dallas businessman who founded True.com. The legislation doesn’t require background checks. Instead, it requires services with Michigan members to warn people on their Web sites whether background checks have been conducted. It would also distinguish between an FBI background check based on a name, or a less-reliable commercial service that tries to capture public records. Howell — who said he knows little about dating services since he’s married — said enforcing Internet business is tricky. He said his bill will instead make it easier for people to sue if they’ve been ripped off or hurt by a date and the dating service lied about background checks. It would be limited to actual damages or $250,000, whichever is lower.

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Your Essential Guide to Avoiding Online Dating Scams

It is widely acknowledged that the Internet has opened up many doors for people everywhere, giving them access to all sorts of products, services and information that they would never have

had before. However, it has also opened up the gateway for millions of con artists to take advantage of people that do not even live in the same country as them! UK online dating is no different in that respect. You can meet people from all over the country but can also fall victim to them as well.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell the legitimate UK online dating sites from the bogus ones at a glance. They may look the same and navigation may feel the same, but this is exactly why the bogus UK online dating sites are successful. The incidence of online dating scams has risen in the last year or so but you can avoid falling victim to them by reading on!

There are two common types of UK online dating scams – the email scam and the fake site scam. The former is when an email is sent to you regarding a site that you are already a member of, but the

latter is a UK online dating site that has been set up specifically to lure people to it with the sole intention of ripping them off. The following lists will give you a checklist so you know exactly what to look for!

The Email Scam

The majority of emails sent to you by UK online dating sites will start with your member number or real name. A bogus email will start with your screen name. For example, instead of John Smith it will read jsmith007.
The email will always have a link contained in it. Whether or not you think that the email is real, always log in by inputting the web address into your browser. Never click on links to sites in emails.
If you are doubly suspicious then go to the site via Google. No search engine will index a duplicate site because it is usually hastily set up so it can easily be taken down again and leave no tracks for law enforcement to follow.
If you suspect that a phishing email (the correct term for them) has been sent to you then report it to the UK online dating site itself. They will confirm whether or not it is real.

The Bogus Site Scam

A bogus site will often be introduced to you via an email. Again, search for the site through Google or Yahoo to make sure that it appears on the search engines to verify its existence.
Check out the UK online dating profiles. Bogus profiles will appear to be very similar in most cases and will almost certainly seem hastily put up. Most people take a little time over their profiles.
When you go onto a payment page, it may be difficult to tell the difference, but always check for a little padlock appearing in the corner of your browser. This means that it is verified and secure. Another indicator of this is a web address beginning with “https” and not “http”.
Finally, search the Internet for reviews of the individual site. If it is real then there will be a number of reviews written by real people available for you to read.

The questions about criminal background checks.: An article from: State Legislatures

This digital document is an article from State Legislatures, published by National Conference of State Legislatures on May 1, 1999. The length of the article is 650 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact is a state-federal partnership

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Ten Essential Online Dating Safety Tips

1. Trust Your Gut Instinct

Your instinct is a powerful medium for knowing when something doesn’t feel right. It is also a great way to measure when to move forward with someone and when to turn and run. As you read profiles, responses to emails, have phone conversations, and meet in person your instincts help to tell you if something is “right” or out of alignment. The “out of alignment” message is your cue to be careful, back off, or proceed with extreme caution. Trust your gut instinct, it’s the most powerful psychological tool you have at your disposal.

2. Don’t Provide Personal Information Too Soon

Your home phone number and full name provide easy ways to track who you are and where you live. Armed with just your home phone number, a person can easily gain access to your income information, home address, and even learn the value of your home. Armed with your first and last name, a person can do searches to determine quite a bit of information on you – where you work, what you do, and even what your home phone number is. So in the initial stages of communication, guard your personal information. As far as phone communication, see the next tip.

3. Use a Free Email Account

If you decide to move your communication from the anonymous email feature provided by the majority of online dating services then provide an email address that isn’t your regular one. Sign up for a free Yahoo!, Hotmail, or Gmail account that you use just for online dating. Don’t put your full name in the From field – only your first name or something else. This protects you from a person being able to search your normal email address to find out more information about you.

4. Use a Cell Phone or Anonymous Phone Service to Chat

When it’s time to move your communication to the next level (talking on the phone), never give out your home phone number. Either provide a cell phone number, use Skype to communicate, or use an anonymous phone service. It’s just an added protection barrier until you get to know the person better.

5. Beware of Married People

It’s unfortunate, but a lot of married people do use online dating services. They’ll even go as far as to meet people. A few years ago, MSNBC reported that a study found that up to 30% of people using online dating services are married!

6. Look for Questionable Characteristics in Your Communication

As you chat via email and on the phone you may be able to start to pick out characteristics of the other person. Are they controlling? Do they seem to anger easily? Do they avoid some of your questions? These can be questionable characteristics that tell you it’s time to move on.

7. Ask for a Recent Photo

There’s nothing wrong in asking someone if their photos are recent. If they don’t have a photo, request a recent one. It’s important for you to get a good look at the person you may eventually meet. Plus your instincts from your communications and their photos may provide you with valuable insight into the person. Plus, if they tell you the photo is recent and you meet and see a major difference, then you’ll know the person lied and can cut the date short. If a person lies about their photo or profile then that is a red flag to no longer pursue the relationship.

8. Stick With Paid Online Dating Services

Free online dating services provide a greater opportunity for potentially dangerous individuals. They don’t ever have to provide a credit card or other information that identifies them. There is some truth to the saying, “you get what you pay for”.

9. Don’t Get a False Sense of Security

Some online dating services claim to offer “background checks” and when signing up for such a service you may find it easier to let your guard down. Don’t. Laws differ from state-to-state when it comes to background checks and there are even several states where checks can’t be effectively performed. Because of the inconsistency, criminals/wrong doers can and do get into services that do “background checks”. Never let your guard down.

10. Meet in a Public Place for Your First Meeting

When it’s time to schedule that first exciting face-to-face meeting, arrange to meet in a public place and provide your own transportation. Your initial meeting will tell you a lot about the other person, including whether or not he/she lied in their profile. Your gut instincts will kick in. Never accept an offer to be picked up at your house. Make sure that a friend knows where you are at and who you are with.

By following these tips, you’ll help protect yourself from being an easy prey to someone who may have ulterior motives. With an average of 100+ marriages a day from online dating, you can see that the experience can be both safe and rewarding. Keep it safe!

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Why I Say That Online Dating Sites Users are Social

It was widely believed that most members of online dating sites are ant-social, stressed, losers and desperate people looking for comfort online. But no proof has been found to support this kind of argument. In fact, many surveys conducted show that actually it is completely opposite. This could have been true some few years back when online dating sites were still young. This is just but a MYTH!. Lifestyle changes and demands of modern life have made it a cheaper and less time consuming option. Modern technologies have made human beings so mobile and the time to sit down and share with those who know you is scarce or is not there.

Online dating sites members are very social offline and very confident. This is an interesting finding about online dates. They are members of at least one organization, often visit family members and engage in social and leisure activities like anybody else. This is a unique finding no doubts. Showing how confident they are to engage in more and more social encounters, gaining experience on social matters. A user looking for a serious relationship may end up getting exactly what he wants.

It is an interesting fact to learn that most members of online dating sites are members of an organized social gathering like a church and or social club. Studies have shown surprisingly enough a high percentage of online dates go out for leisure and happy moments with their friends more often.

Many people use online dating sites mainly to find dates and establish long-term relationships. Others are out there hunting for sexual partners. There still exists a group that want to chat and flirt. Users who are above the age of 30 are most likely looking for marriage partners and therefore they will be more serious. Another characteristic of online dates is that funny enough they are learned and earning handsomely. Members of online dating services cut across the social class. It does not matter the skin color or the tongue its universal.

Young men and women are more likely to use online dating sites to flirt or chat. While the above thirty will either be looking for a sexual partner or a serious for marriage. The married and living common law go for online dating without any intention of marriage, they want to flirt or look for sex. On the other hand widowed and divorced tend to take online dating site services on a different perspective, for long term relationships and marriages.

Online dating sites members between the age ranging between 18-25 most likely have no intentions to meet up face to face they are just having a sweet time. While people above 30 years onwards could have intention of going for sexual partners, marriage partners and or long-term relationships.

Online dating sitse sites are either free or are on subscription bases. Depending on individual they chose where to join. Mostly serious people looking for life partners will go the paid dating sites. More serious and honest dates can only be found here. The invasion by scanners is limited which is very common in the sites offering free online dating sites.

Jill Crosby, creator of Spiritual Singles.com gives us valuable tips on how to attract the right person to you through on-line dating.
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Related Online Dating Law Articles

When you want a clear picture of the person you have been talking to online, how do you now do a criminal records search? It’s easy, just read on!

Maybe after days or weeks of corresponding, you have decided that it is time to finally meet this new person.  But at this point, how many of you are actually thinking about your own personal safety? You should be. Criminals, predators and frauds are pervasive on the internet; just waiting for unsuspecting targets. The good news is, you don’t have to be a victim. The internet also makes it easy to do a quick and totally affordable criminal records search.

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Dating websites are among the most successful enterprises on the World Wide Web – even in the face of seemingly new ‘competition’ from social networking sites.

Online dating provides a relatively anonymous environment to meet people you otherwise would never come across on a daily basis. Many people are just too busy to get out and meet other people, and even more just don’t care for the bar scene any more. Others have difficulty because of shyness or a certain level of insecurity, and others have just dumb bad luck when it comes to meeting interesting people.

Online dating services provide a pool of people who are already pre-screened or self-screened who share your interests. That’s a really good start. Through photos, profiles, online videos and psychological matching algorithms, they give members improved odds of finding that special someone and more importantly, quickly weeding out the ones they are not interested in meeting.

These services provide a targeted audience of people interested in meeting someone for a romantic relationship or just a friendship. Social networking sites like MySpace have their valid uses. But it’s like milling among people in a huge crowd, most of who are there for reasons other than dating. Online dating services fill a need and their continuing success shows that the good ones can earn money despite many new, free venues for Internet interaction. 

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