New site makes sure the date you found online isn't a felon

Let's say you're browsing your preferred dating site and you spot a particularly hot guy/girl. You like the same music, watch the same TV shows, and you both really hate people who are "fakes or flakes!!!" You want to ask this person out on a date, but the problem is: how do you know you won't wake up in a bathtub full of ice, missing a kidney? (If you wake up at all, that is.) Well, now there is a crop of new sites that will do a background search for you and make sure there are no felony charges hiding in your date's past. From the New York Times:

“What we want to do is provide some degree of safety,” said Robert Buchholz, a retired New York State Police captain who, with Andrew J. Scott, a former police chief in Boca Raton, Fla., founded MyMatchChecker.com, a Web site that went live in April, enabling people to request background checks on anyone they have met on a dating site.

Mr. Buchholz and Mr. Scott, who each have more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, said that having daughters inspired them to try to make online dating safer. Their company offers a basic background search for $9.95.

There are also several smart-phone apps that will do a quick and dirty sweep, for those of you who are concerned about your safety but not really that much. And while I encourage people to think about their own safety when meeting new people, be it online or otherwise, I get the feeling anyone using these sites will mostly find busts for pot and unpaid parking tickets.

Comments ( 9 )

Were I planning to murder my dates, I would probably use a fake name. So unless they're using some CSI-like facial recognition technology, I can't see this actually making online dating safer.

Lisa commented on Dec 20 10 at 9:56 am

This is great an easy app. to find out more about that girl!!! I just meet at the bar/chat room like her address and employment oh my what I can do with all this at my finger tips; this should scare this guys daughters. I guess they didn't think about the flip-side to this being a intelligence gathering tool for predators..

The other side. commented on Dec 20 10 at 3:11 pm

most ridiculous crap ever..lets use fear to pick the pockets of ignorant people.

first you'll need to pay for a "name check" then a fee for a background check..of course there are ignorant people everywhere so this'll probably rake in some bucks before its proven to be a total waste

mike freeman commented on Dec 20 10 at 3:17 pm

most ridiculous crap ever..using fear to separate the ignorant from their money is something best left to the government.

99% of the online dating community use fakes names anyway..who in their right mind post their real name on a dating site for all their co-workers and friends to find?

Sure there's probably a few idjits that do

mike freeman commented on Dec 20 10 at 3:20 pm

And when the perosn turns out to be a serial rapist, the background service checkers will be sued and out of business soon enough.

Buster Hymen commented on Dec 20 10 at 5:12 pm

I used to be a felon, but I changed my name, bought some new ID and now I'm on the book of faces as a 20-something, virginal transvestite looking for a parade.

Twolane commented on Dec 20 10 at 6:36 pm

I tell people all the time about my police/FBI/State Department record. It's an interesting story, and sounds a lot cooler than it actually was.

Alias Undercover commented on Dec 21 10 at 1:25 am

I have friends in law enforcement. Background checks are rarely very interesting.

thinkywritey commented on Dec 21 10 at 9:52 am

I have a record, and it's a charge that may turn people off on paper, but I have yet to meet a person who is not supportive of me once they know the full story. I always told women I was dating about my past as soon as our connection got to the point where we've gotten to know each other. Finding the perfect moment to share something like this is not easy, and sites and apps like this complicate matters even more. I'm really glad I'm in a long term relationship where I don't have to worry about someone checking up on me and getting scared or turned off before I have a chance to show that I'm more than one mistake in my past, what I've learned from it and everything else about me that is actually worth getting to know. Meeting in public and not revealing personal info makes online dating even safer than giving your contact info to some stranger at a bar or party, and in any case, finding out the bad news on someone before the good could ruin or hinder what could otherwise be a really nice connection.

qw commented on Dec 21 10 at 1:34 pm

New site makes sure the date you found online isn't a felon

Comments ( 9 )

Leave a Comment