Why I Created PersonaCheck for Online Dating Safety

I have been talking to people online since 1982. Well before Al Gore invented the Internet. There used to be thousands of private and public bulletin boards where one could sign in and talk with other “pre-netters”. It was usually rather local and often times a small community developed. Deceit was not tolerated and was easily discovered in time. With the advent of the Internet our online world has exploded in size and diversity. I freely admit that I enjoy finding friends and potential mates online. When you begin to think of all the horror stories that we all have seen and heard on the news, consider these observations. Last survey I read claimed that over 42 million of us are using the Internet for personal contacts of the opposite sex. Some of the largest dating sites online have millions of members.

Many dating sites have hundreds of success stories posted online. That being said, I, like most people, would be lead to believe that the dangers of online interaction are certainly there but not any more of a problem than face-to-face social activities. We could not be farther from the truth. I have been a victim of online deceit, fraud and even crime, as thousands of others have. This is occurring everyday, every hour, in chat rooms, personal ads and instant messages. It ranges from something as being as a married man claiming to be single in a chat room to the sexual offender setting up victims with personal ads. But yet, thousands of us are online everyday looking for “the one”. After considering that fact, I have come to the conclusion that most people who seek out online partners have reluctantly accepted the dangers. They assume that the chances are remote they will become victims…if they are careful. Again, nothing can be farther from the truth and that is why PersonaCheck came into existence.