Of the many amazing capabilities that the internet has brought us, the ability to find meaningful and life-long relationships through online dating is certainly one of them. These days, it’s fairly common to hear that a happy couple has met this way But when it comes to putting yourself out there online, the risks can end up being greater than just a polite rejection or a bad date.
The underbelly of online dating
Recently, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced that it was suing The Match Group for fraudulent business practices. The company owns a number of the most prominent dating sites including Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, PlentyofFish, and more. The lawsuit focuses solely on Match.com, with the FTC claiming that the site tricked customers into buying subscriptions and exposed them to fraud risks, among other deceptive and unfair practices.
The allegations are a cascade of online safety horrors: the FTC claimed that “as many as 25 to 30 percent of Match.com members who register each day are using Match.com to attempt to perpetrate scams.” During certain periods, more than half of the communications occurring on the site were from fraudulent accounts.
But this isn’t just a problem for dating websites, every online marketplace has its fair share of malicious third parties hoping to take advantage of unwitting users. Of course, for as proactive and diligent as a company or site can be in combating these threats, users must always be aware of potential scams.
According to the FTC, 2018 saw people report losing a collective total of $143 million as a result of online dating scams, an astronomical increase from the $33 million total in 2015. Even as Match disputes the claims of culpability, we can’t ignore that there is a serious security problem within online dating communities.
MyLife’s constant dedication to online safety
Here at MyLife we are always constantly considering new ways to keep people safe online. As a company that champions security for every individual on the web, we expect that our newest offerings will do just that, whether people are online dating or browsing an online marketplace. MyLife has begun to roll out new identity verification enhancements to its services, as well as to its platform for dating sites, in order to make consumers safer. What makes these enhancements so special is that it allows individuals to take their online security into their own hands.
Through our identity verification, users are able to learn more about who they are interacting with online. The updates provide multiple levels of security: MyLife’s enhancements can be used for something as simple as verifying that a person is actually who they claim to be. Even further, they can view that person’s MyLife’s reputation details and even see that person’s public Reputation Score, which will give digital citizens concerned about their online safety the ability to better discern who exactly they are connecting with online and how trustworthy they are. We believe that this will fundamentally reduce instances of online fraud and crime where it is available.
MyLife wants nothing more than to stop people from being taken advantage of, and to equip them with the knowledge and power to avoid such dangers and to find the connections they seek. As CEO of MyLife, I am excited to share these new developments with our users and with the world, so that the millions of people hoping to lead safe and healthy online lives can do so in peace and comfort.
