The world is filled with creative people who become the masterminds behind some of today’s hottest innovations. You’ve heard of online dating sites where singles looking for love use the Internet as a means to find Mr. or Ms. Right. (Fabulous idea—it makes millions.) While the sites have worked for some, others are less fortunate. And, it’s no surprise. Examine any one of the many Internet dating sites out there you will notice flaws in the system. The most obvious—there’s no embellishment filter. Enter another ingenious person—someone has come up with a way to help online daters who suffer disappointment when potential partners lie about their age, weight or marital status. The solution: professional online dating investigators.
Studies show that wealthy business owners, entertainers and politicians are among those who say they rather not risk ending up with a person who misrepresents their qualities online, so they pay thousands of dollars to matchmakers to discreetly filter out the “liars” and find them the perfect partner.
Frankly, I think it is a great idea. I have a few friends who have had nightmare experiences with people who have lied about themselves on Internet dating service profiles. My friends are looking for decent dates, not horror stories. And, I don’t necessarily think it is the online services’ fault.
As I mentioned earlier, the online dating industry is lucrative. Studies show the sites generated about $500 million in the United States alone. What’s more, a survey completed earlier this year by Pew Internet and American Life Project found that about 16 million Americans had used an online dating website. But while 52 percent said they had mostly positive experiences, 29 percent reported negative experiences.
That’s where these new “investigators” come in. They in essence become the embellishment filter the sites don’t offer. Here’s how it works: a person looking for love on the Internet narrows down potential suitors. He or she then contacts an Internet dating agency, which employs a team to do background checks on the potential man or woman of their dreams. Prices for the service can run in the thousands of dollars, but agency employees say it is a small price to pay for a “happy ending.”
Still not convinced the service is a good idea–consider this: “In a first for the dating and relationship industry, U.S. online dating service, True.com announced a landmark civil prosecution victory in October against a convicted felon and registered sex offender from California who misrepresented himself online.”
Or, this personal account from a 26-year-old woman from California who was the victim of someone who had misrepresented himself on an online dating website: “I found I was chatting with someone who ended up being in a cyber café in Nigeria and tried to squeeze me for $300,” the woman told a local radio station. Yikes!
Do you know anyone who has an online dating horror story?
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