Online dating is apparently a recession-proof industry. Dating sites memberships are up anywhere from 25% to 50% as millions of people are turning to online sites as a cheaper ? and stress-free ?? alternative to clubbing, going out to ?happy hour,? and other typical dating scenes. Even the traffic to these sites is up. About half of all adults have joined online dating services at some point.
Whether the match is through specific dating sites or more casual groupings like MySpace or Facebook friends, online dating is still dating, and the normal rules apply ? be a little picky about whom you meet, have first dates in a safe, public place, and know as much as you can about the person before meeting them.
That?s where a background check is useful. Meeting someone online probably means that you don?t share any common acquaintance you can pump for information or guidance. A background check supplies background knowledge about a person, which can indicate if they?re a good match or send up warning flares.
Three on a Match
It?s a common misconception that meeting someone through a dating service is safe. In reality, no (or virtually no) services perform background checks on their subscribers. And, as with any online profile, it?s very easy to lie in the profile.
Sifting through the online dating advice and horror stories, three issues emerge that can potentially go wrong with an online-initiated relationship:
???????? Lying.
It seems harmless ? a little misrepresentation about one?s job or the college one attended, neglecting to mention the kids from a previous relationship. These aren?t areas for compromise? because you need to establish new relationships honestly. If an online friend is lying now, what will that same person lie about later?
???????? Married.
There are sites dedicated to more ?alternative? relationships ? but that?s not what most online daters are looking for. That means that some people with more appetite than scruples misrepresent their availability. If your goal is a long-term relationship, verify that the person is free for you to build that relationship with.
???????? Malicious.
There are a variety of ways that people use the Internet as a tool to abuse other people, personal injuries like cyber bullying, stalking, identity theft, even assault. Almost no dating services perform any kind of background check on their members, so the system is open to be manipulated by predators. The top rule in online dating is always take care of yourself.
There is always a risk that online sites, no matter how reputable or popular, will not enforce their terms of agreement, so even known con artists, sexual predators, violent felons, or common grade liars and heartbreakers can have free rein.
A Look at Background Checks
In spite of its apparent simplicity, a background check contains enough information to help rout the most common bad results from online dating:
The big things people lie about are money and status. A background check contains:
???????? Current address, phone numbers, and address histories (showing where they?ve been)
???????? Property ownership and asset values
???????? Bankruptcies, tax liens, and civil judgments
With dating in particular, the other trouble areas relate to previous relationships and children, both of which turn up in a background check:
???????? Marriage and divorce records
???????? Birth records
Malicious intent can be a little harder to identify, but even a standard background check contains possible indicators of trouble:
???????? State criminal search, including charges, arrest files, and sentencing
???????? Aliases
???????? Relatives, neighbors, and known associates
Take the Chance
Don?t let uncertainty keep you from a wonderful relationship. Background searches are a way of separating the chaff so that you can appreciate the wheat that is out there. Because background people searches offer protection against the worst hazards of online dating, they enhance the positives.
Use the information in a background search, influenced by your own intuition, to develop your dating strategy:
???????? Narrow the field.
???????? Look for a long-term relationship.
???????? Get a better understanding of the person, where they?ve come from, what they?ve achieved.
???????? Continue the relationship confidently.
The biggest issues in any relationship are the fundamentals: money, kids, family, life direction. A quick background check gives you insight into those issues.
Amber Higgins
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/how-background-checks-help-you-keeping-your-footing-in-the-dating-scene-717423.html
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