Another state now seems poised to push through legislation in an attempt to protect online dating site customers. Florida currently has pending legislation requiring sites to disclose the security features they provide to their customers.

Following the lead of New Jersey, which became the first state to pass legislation to protect online daters back in January, Florida is hoping to pass “The Internet Predator Awareness and Online Safety Act, HB 411.” This bill would require that all online dating sites to disclose to their prospective and current customers whether or not they provide security checks on their clients.

As I’ve stated in various other articles, the internet really is a large place. Online dating is no exception, and it’s important to keep your personal banking information as secure as your personal identification. You need to use the utmost caution in protecting your security.

I was surfing online and I ran into a really interesting story written by Jessica Langdon in the Wichita Times Record News titled “Cheated Love: Woman Feels She Was Victim of Nigerian ‘Sweetheart Scam’.”

Here’s an interesting story this morning regarding the use of background checks for online dating sites. The article goes into detail about the ongoing debate on whether or not these checks will add any value to a dating service.

Of all the major online dating companies, only True.com currently provides a screening process for it’s customers. This process involves running names through state databases of criminal records. There are arguments about whether or not the screening test is comprehensive or thorough enough, and it may lead True.com members into a false sense of security.

Sandra Rossi with Computerworld Australia wrote a great article which I thought was an interesting read. It deals with the invention of a Russian “flirt-bot” or spyware that is able to gather personal information from unsuspecting singles.

Talk about an instance of technology gone bad. This “flirt-bot” named CyberLover is able to initiate and conduct conversations with unsuspecting humans in chat rooms, notably online dating sites. Developed in Russia, the creators of CyberLover claim it is able to simultaneously establish a new relationship with up to 10 different people inside of 30 minutes.