Swipe Left the Fakes: Is an Internet Search Enough to Find the Truth?

Many of us have found ourselves on an online dating website, looking for the right match. After what feels like endless swipes or the millionth question answered from match quizzes, (you swear you seen the same questions a thousand times, just worded differently.) you finally found a great profile. You send a message, heart beating fast, hoping this person responds. After what feels like an eternity, they do, you both hit it off, and schedule a date. As the butterflies begin to settle, you realize that something seems a bit off with their profile and interactions. You find their name, do a quick online search, and everything seems fine. Their social media pages are set to private, so it's hard to find more information. Yet this feeling isn't going away. Despite feeling troubled, you give the benefit of the doubt, finally meet, and become disheartened as you realize once you're face to face that they are not who they said they were online.

Unfortunately, this type of situation happens more frequently than you may think. The questions you should ask is "Could anything else have been done to sift out the fakes from the real matches?"

Online dating is not going to go away, as over 38% of single adults in the US have tried online dating. With popular dating websites such as eHarmony and Match.com boasting over 17 million and 24.5 million members respectively, and 1 in 5 committed relationships that started online , finding a special someone online has become an ingrained part of our culture in courtship.

While online dating has become more accepted, ( 59% agree that online dating is a good way to meet someone ) it fits our digital age and provides convenience, there is a dark underbelly to online dating. People are taking advantage of the autonomy of the internet, at others' expenses. You may have had that "gut feeling" of something not being right about a match, you are not alone: over half of those who use online dating sites felt that some were misrepresenting themselves online.

10% of sex offenders use online dating websites

1 in 10 dating profiles are fake (AKA Catfishing)

53% of users lie on their dating profile

These numbers are concerning and could be enough to turn you off from online dating, which is understandable. Whether you want to continue is a personal decision. However, the fact remains that online dating is one the rise and depending on your location, meeting people online may be the most accessible way to find the right match for you.

As explained in our earlier story, using common search methods, such as social media and Google, can work in finding out about your match, but not only can it miss key information not available to the public, it can become exhausting when you go at it alone. More than likely you are one of the 53% who has dated more than one person at the same time , which means you are conversing with multiple matches.

Online dating can be rewarding, but incredibly daunting. Fortunately, there are services that can help. Private investigators are moving into the digital realm to help people get peace of mind. Radius Investigations has a team of licensed private investigators that can provide professional and comprehensive background checks on your matches, as well as social media investigations. We have access to databases and resources that are not accessible to the public and won't pop up through Google. Don't let negative experiences prevent you from finding the right match: using a professional background check service can give you the peace of mind to move forward.