Online dating has been around for a while now and is a great way to meet other singles. The issue comes up about online dating and safety. Do we need background checks for online dating? This is an easy yes but trying to do background checks on all members of a dating site and combating fake profiles is tough. That is why you need to do your due diligence when using dating sites online. You can do your own investigative steps to ensure who you are meeting is who they say they are.
Catfish Dating Show
When hearing the two terms together, “online dating”, the first thing that comes to our minds is most likely Catfish, filmed by the two directors, Nev Schulman, and Max Joseph. They have helped millions and millions of online daters find their true romantic partners from all over the world.
Their hour-long episodes are filled with surprises, mysteries, truths, and terrifying revelations as one individual discovers the truth about his or her long-distance date.
Most of us have seen those positive episodes, where the daters reveal each other to actually be real, and they were honest with each other throughout their year-long relationship, and they live happily ever after forever and ever.
However, we have also seen the sad and heartbreaking episodes where Schulman and Joseph travel miles away with one of the individuals to discover that the relationship that has been flowing for years was a complete joke. All the pictures, stories, messages, and even phone calls were complete lies and they get devastated and never date anyone online ever again.
Whether it is through online or in person, cheating and lying to someone in a relationship is one of the most hurtful things anyone could ever do to anyone. Unfortunately, this is why online dating is something that not most of your classmates, or co-workers do. However, there are many introverts that wish there would be honest and real individuals who they could possibly be with through these online dating sites. Our poor introverts actually rely on dating sites.
Not who they say they are
Not only are their catfishers out there, but there are also a few individuals who use online dating apps have criminal histories including sex offenders, domestic violence crimes, and even theft. They talk to individuals for days and even months, and they meet up with them to harm them in many different ways including rape and abuse.
Although its recommended to meet up with people for the first time at a mall or somewhere surrounded by many people, these daters will obviously one day want to get together at a hotel, or someone’s house.
There are plenty of fake accounts and users, and it has been extremely hard to find a solution for these monsters.
However, our experts, thankfully have found new ways to keep you safe through online dating apps. It won’t necessarily keep the fake accounts and users away, although, it will keep away most of the sex offenders and criminals.
Who does background checks
Out of the thousands of online dating apps out there, a few of them have become more aware of the dangerous situations that individuals are being put in just from simply dating and talking to someone through a dating app.
The apps that require a background check of every user that creates an account through their app is:
- Gatsby
- Match.com
- eHarmony
Sparks Network sites below:
- Elite Singles
- Attractive World
- eDarling
- Jdate
- Christian Mingle
- JSwipe
- LDSSingles
- Adventist Singles
- SilverSingles
These different types of dating apps will use the background checks to look for the histories of each and every user, including sexual assault, identity theft, and violence before making their profiles official and public. These different sites have also provided its users with guides on how to stay safe when meeting with people offline, online dating safety education, and how users could report and prevent fraud.
Many of us have probably heard of Match.com, but you probably are not so familiar with Gatsby. Gatsby, similar to Match.com is, of course, an online dating app that is opened to everyone. Just as it appears, the name Gatsby was inspired by the known movie and book, “The Great Gatsby” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. However, the app was not created by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The founder of Gatsby is Joseph Penora, and he has seen and heard many of the crimes and incidents that happen from online dating.
He is trying to improve an individual’s experiences through online dating by requiring its users to do a background check before getting their profile approved. Users of the app go through questionnaires and create their profiles similar to other dating apps, like Match.com, Tinder, and more.
What does a background check do
The first app to actually start doing background checks was Gatsby. Later, Match.com, eHarmony, and Sparks Network followed. The background checks that the app has required does not ban individuals who have been in jail for anything, however, the ban is only for those who have been convicted of something out of the world crazy.
However, the users of those apps need to be aware that even though there are background checks, that does not mean that individuals will not create fake accounts. There is not anything on those apps thus far that can prevent the creation of fake profiles.
Although, our experts are currently working to create something that will clean up the nasty mess behind all of the fake profiles that have been made and the ones that are still being created each and every day.
Conclusion
As the days move on, we are hoping that each and every dating app out there, including Tinder, OkCupid, and Singles.com will start doing background checks as well. These apps are used by millions of users, and with their cheap prices, they are filled with criminals, fake accounts, fake users, and even sex offenders. As mentioned earlier, experts are working on not only keeping the criminals off of dating sites but the fake users and accounts as well. It will take the expert’s time; however, they have accomplished getting the criminals away, the fakers will be their next focus.
Check out this article on doing some background investigation on your next date.