A popular daytime television show in the UK has recently broadcast an article on Internet security and Internet dating. With Online Dating being an industry I worked in for a brief period this was quite relevant to me.

http://www.itv.com/lifestyle/thismorning/more/internetdatingdisasters/

The main aim of the Sally Cornock's site is to warn of 'love rats' and suspicious profiles online. It appears that she was stung by a serial dater online and has done something about it.

It highlights the dilemma of free to join, fixed cost membership sites quite well though. Most dating sites are free to join. They provide very little functionality, and no interaction at all with other members UNLESS you upgrade your account and pay a fee. When you understand this it makes policing this near on impossible.

Sally Cornock has raised the issue of potentially having a governing body to perform validation on members as they join, so that you know someone is who they say they are. This would discourage a massive percentage of the market, as signing up for free by providing only one or two fields of data is simple. But passing an online verification is an extra level of hassle to the "casual shopper", which most people are. When you look at the statistics only a tiny number of signups ever convert to full membership.

It nicely highlights some of the less technical aspects of web usage, click through below to read more:

http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/crime-prevention/helping-prevent-crime/personal-safety/online-dating-safety

http://www.e-victims.org/

http://www.suzylamplugh.org/personal-safety/personal-safety-tips/safety-on-the-internet/

http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help%20for%20victims/Get%20information%20victims/Information%20about%20specific%20crimes/Cyber%20crime