Website generates in-depth criminal history reports for online daters

A new website designed to tighten security in the online dating realm was recently launched by a retired law enforcement officer/licensed private investigator and a single mom in Antioch, California. The website, called Romance Reality Check, allows users to confirm information such as criminal records and address history of people they meet through online dating sites. The software creates easy-to-read reports of a potential mate's delinquent history, plus more in-depth information such as bankruptcy filings or professional licenses. "We hear horror stories all the time of people being ripped off by con artists and people being physically assaulted by someone they met online," said John McCarty, co-founder of the site. "Meeting someone who has a criminal record or is married also seems to be a fairly routine occurrence." Background screening for online dating websites has become a hot topic of late. In 2007, complaints of online dating services increased by 73 percent, according to the Better Business Bureau. Gothamist adds that two weeks ago, a lawsuit filed by a female Match.com user provoked the well-known dating site to begin filtering customers through the National Sex Offender Registry. The victim was raped by a male user who reportedly had a record of six separate convictions for sexual battery in Los Angeles County.