By Jessica Walker

On Sunday morning I overheard an interview on Fox and Friends about a cell phone application that provides instant background checks for singles.  At first I thought great idea; another tool to help our members.  I finished watching the interview, wrote down some notes and then went online to find out more.

Even though I would be promoting another company, my initial reaction was to gather as much information as possible so I could share it with our members.  After all, I am here to help keep you Safer in the City right?

But, all that positive thinking fizzled the more and more I researched the company behind the application, Intelius, and the application itself. Lets start with the company and mind you not much effort is needed to find something sketchy.

With just a quick Google search using the following words, “Intelius and scams”, I found this article in TechCrunch, from March 2009 describing a company swimming in consumer complaints and legal issues.

You’ll also find multiple sites with detailed consumer complaints.  Check out these links:

Complaints.com Consumers in control
Intelius.Pissedconsumer.com
Thesqueakywheel.com

Also, take a look at the comment trail on this article:
Topix

You’ll read that almost all of the customers complained of unauthorized monthly charges appearing on their credit or debit cards after paying for a one-time fee service on the Intelius site.  Some even complained that the searches they initially paid for weren’t accurate and could not be used.

Now let’s explore the cell phone application that Intelius has just launched in October through iPhone, Blackberry and Android. There are five searches that are available to cell phone customers once the application is downloaded and this is where it got creepy for me.  Although, I was okay with the first search called the “Sleaze Detector” which instantly checks for past criminal activity.  But then I noticed the other four searches that instantly check for the following:

Net Worth
•    Property ownership information
•    Home details (bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, tax info)
•    Assessed property value

Compatibility
•    Birth Date
•    Horoscope and astrological
information

Interests
•    Social Network Info
•    Professional Info
•    Educational background

Living Situation
•    Names and ages of relatives, associates & roommates living at search subject’s residence

Reading through these searches made me nauseous.  My initial thought was what a brilliant tool for a criminal!  With just a name, phone number or email address Intelius can tell you all this information INSTANTLY.  Now I understand that some of this stuff is available online in some way, which is another problem, but starting in October it’s easier then ever to gather it in an instant one stop shop.

Does anyone else have a problem with some stranger learning about your property ownership, assessed property value and the names and ages of relatives living in your home?  What does that have to do with dating?  You would think marital status would have been number one on their search list but it was left out.  I guess they felt learning the number of bedrooms and bathrooms was more of a priority then whether someone was married or single.

Well you’ll be happy to learn that Safer Dates takes marital status very seriously as it is included in both our Level I & II Verifications and our InvestiDate tool.

Now that we know this application is out there, here is some advice on what to do to block some of your information from being shared through this tool.  Linda Criddle, the expert in my latest interview, “What the Fraud!”, talks about contacting local government agencies to request that your housing information remain private.  Linda spent 13 years at Microsoft where she was a pioneer in online safety for mobile devices and PC’s for the MSN division. She advises that within your home town learn what is public knowledge and accessible through the internet and request that it be removed.  Also, be sure to change the settings on your social networking sites so that only “connections” or “contacts” authorized by YOU can see your profile information.

To read about what Linda Criddle thinks on this new application go to her blog at ilookbothways.com.

One last thing… the tag line for this new application is “Look up before you Hook up”.  You can say that again!

Until next time, here’s to keeping you Safer in the City!

- Jessica

Published on 13 July 2009 by Amy in Security News

Source: BrickHouseSecurity.com

In the midst of thousands of horror stories ranging from murder cases to fiscal scams, the urgency for protection in the online dating world has reached its breaking point. The call has been answered swiftly and mercilessly: saferdates.com. Saferdates provides an unprecedented service in the online dating world that not only allows you to date, but also “investidate.” With a dual level screening process, meeting your other half is no longer a gamble with your safety. The investidate initiative allows members to perform a basic search for a history of felonies, misdemeanors, sex offenses, and marriage for potential mates. Saferdates provides a fingerprint scan for potential mates, which is the best way to ensure that online dating members are screened successfully against a criminal past.  Each member must have a “verified” check next to their profile that notifies other members that they have been screened. continue reading

The people at Safer Dates believe it is! During these hard economic times, Safer Dates acknowledges that building relationships is more important now than ever before, which is why they decided to make their memberships free to help keep your love life optimistic.

Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) January 15, 2009 — Doreen DeAguila, CEO of Safer Dates states, “It’s rough out there and the media covers it intensely all hours of the day. We want Safer Dates to be a safe haven from all the negativity. Take a break from the news and log on to SaferDates.com,there are only friendly faces on our site.”

A free Safer Dates membership is packed full of the following benefits to help you safely communicate with that special someone:

Instant messaging (IM)
Personal blogs
Forums
Four different chat rooms - The Lounge, Hollywood, Tech Talk and Current Events

While you’re becoming acquainted with the site, take note of the verification levels. The Level I and Level II Verifications are not included with the free membership but for a small annual fee they can be a great investment, not only strengthening your Safer Dates profile but they can also benefit you on other dating site profiles as well as social networking profiles.

Continue Reading »

By Jessica Walker

The main reason why I accepted the position as columnist for the Safer Dates Blog was to help showcase why Safer Dates exists and to be a reliable resource that empowers the online community to defend against becoming a victim of crime.  Becoming cognizant of various safety tools is more important now than ever before due to the recent recession boasting an increase in various types of theft on and off-line.  Which is why I choose to interview Tad Camp (Safer Dates professional Online Safety & Security Expert) for my second article, “Don’t Become Lax for Criminals Come from Many Directions”.  Scroll down to read it now.

Tad has an extensive background as a highly trained former Law Enforcement Officer and Detective.  Before relocating to Florida, Tad previously served as Acting Chief of Police in Ohio.  While serving the citizens of Pinellas County Florida, he was elected to the American Police Hall of Fame.

Tad entered the private sector in 2005, after an on-duty injury caused him to no longer physically perform his duties.  Instead of retiring, this juggernaut started Tad Camp Investigations, Inc. which has provided services for celebrities, foreign dignitaries, worldwide religious organizations, and various corporations.  His wealth of knowledge in security investigations earned him the reputation as one of the best known and respected individuals in his field.

Tad has also channeled this expertise into an entrepreneurial endeavor by inventing the True Tracker Pro GPS personal security device.  The device has an SOS button that sends alerts via email or phone to three friends or family members.  The alerts are continuously transmitted every 15 seconds to ten minutes (depending on the service plan) and tells them your exact location.  To learn more about the True Tracker please visit  www.truetrackerpro.com.

Also, don’t miss the second Safer Dates safety video.Watch as I reenact a real life scenario submitted by a member that was recently a victim of a potential home intruder.  With advice from Tad Camp, I’ll walk you through the steps that you can take to help secure your home.

Until next month, here’s to keeping you Safer in the City!

- Jessica

Next month get dating advice from my interview with Yvonne Rice, a former Dating Agency Director, online dating expert and Author of Love Sex Lies and the Internet Mouse “Trap”.

Jessica: Tell us about your background; what did you do before you went into business for yourself?

Continue Reading »

Jun 20, 2008

Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) June 20, 2008– SaferDates.com continues to be on the cutting edge of online dating platforms by launching Investidate, a new site feature that offers their Level I Verification screening to anyone visiting the site.  That’s right you don’t have to be a member or a single person to utilize this feature.  In fact, members from other dating websites are welcome to utilize Investidate to screen their latest love interest.

Continue Reading »

Sep 18, 2008
Safer Dates continues it’s commitment to provide a safer online dating experience by combining their online dating services with social networking services.  Members can safely and easily interact with potential dates by using the following new features until they feel comfortable enough to take it offline:

• Instant Messaging (IM)
• Blogs
• Forums
• Four different Chat Rooms – The Lounge, Hollywood, Tech Talk and Current Events

Continue Reading »

Appropriate steps to ensure your safety!
Aug 21, 2008
The #1 rule in safety is to be aware and be prepared.  This is not a new concept, but surprisingly it’s ignored time and time again even among trained Martial Artists.

Physical self-defense skills greatly increase your chances to survive an aggression but alone they are not enough.  Awareness is at the core of it all.  Imagine seeing something before it happens.  Does that give you an advantage to act accordingly?  Yes, it does and here are some tips on how to become more aware and prepared while dating online:

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