True Expands Its Exclusive Relationship with Rapsheets to Reduce the
Likelihood of Married Persons Misrepresenting Themselves as Single
DALLAS - July 22, 2004 - In a recent survey of single females ages 18-34
conducted by Russell Research, results showed that 85 percent of those polled
would be more likely to use an online dating site that prescreens members
against public records to ensure members are not married, when compared to
other online dating sites. On the heels of this survey, True today announced
it is expanding its relationship with Rapsheets, America's largest source of
criminal records on the Internet, to execute Single Verification(TM) on
http://www.True.com, designed to reduce the chances that a person will misrepresent
themselves as single. With this announcement, True becomes the first online
relationship service to provide this critical screening for its members.
According to the Russell Research survey, 90 percent of the women surveyed
would feel better about online dating if members were pre-screened against
public records to determine if they were married. Through the exclusive
relationship with Rapsheets, True will review 19 billion public records to
determine if a user is in fact married by using a sophisticated algorithm that
establishes the relationship between people using a set of defined parameters.
Should True find that a member has misrepresented him/herself on the site,
they will be immediately removed and could be subject to criminal and civil
penalties.
"When a married person misrepresents themselves on the site by saying that
they are single, we believe that constitutes fraud. Our goal with this
screening is to clean-up the online dating industry, providing our members
with every legitimate opportunity to find the lasting relationships they've
entrusted us with helping them discover," said Herb Vest, founder and CEO of
True. "The safety and security of our members is of the utmost importance and
therefore, we believe it's our duty and our members' right to have this pre-
screening performed, in addition to criminal background screenings. Online
dating is here to stay and True is deeply dedicated to providing our members
with the peace of mind they deserve."
True is the only online relationship service currently taking these
important and industry-leading steps to protect its members. In fact, in an
unprecedented move, True has proposed legislation in Texas, Ohio and Virginia
with other states to follow, that would require for online dating sites to
screen their members for criminal backgrounds.
"True is clearly setting the standard for the online dating industry,
taking significant and costly measures to ensure that its members feel safe
and secure using the site," said Bill Rathburn, former Chief of Police of
Dallas, Texas, president of Rathburn & Associates, a comprehensive security
planning and operations firm, and True's expert security advisor. "From
criminal background screenings to single verification, True is leading by
example and showing the rest of the industry how online relationship services
should conduct their businesses and improve the security of their members."
How "Single Verification" Works
When an individual begins to communicate on True, they are prompted with a
dialogue box asking for a few additional pieces of information to perform the
Single Verification(TM). Almost instantaneously, the check is performed using
the algorithm specifically designed for True. If the program can't rule out
people living in the same household such as children, the member is then asked
to clarify the relationship and certify that they are providing true and
correct information.
To ensure the accuracy of the screening, True has performed extensive
testing on the screening method and certification process and has found it to
be extremely accurate. In about 75 percent of the cases tested, True was able
to determine pre-existing relationships through the complex screening
algorithm, without the aid of additional information provided by the user.
About True
True is a safe, savvy and scientifically based relationship service whose
mission is to help singles find long lasting and fulfilling relationships.
Founded on an advanced, scientific compatibility test uniquely endorsed by
Psychology Today and independently certified by one of the leading experts in
tests and measurements to comply with the standards of the American
Psychological Association, True is the only online relationship service that
actively protects the safety of its members by conducting extensive criminal
background screenings. Moreover, with the help of proprietary research and
the industry's most extensive team of scientists, relationship experts and
psychologists, True guides its members step-by-step through all stages of the
relationship-building process.
To find out more about how True helps people around the world Live, Love
and Learn(TM), please visit http://www.true.com .
Press Contacts:
Olivia Horoshko
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
310-248-6183
Olivia.Horoshko@ogilvypr.com
Taylor L. Cole, APR
TRUE
972-402-4813
Taylor.Cole@true.com
SOURCE True
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