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As the government and media focus on people who exploit online dating services for criminal or false gain, one such company has decided to put members' minds at ease by offering them the chance to check up on potential dates for free.

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Northfield, NJ ' Online mischief-makers who hide behind false profiles beware ' a New Jersey-based web dating agency has responded to growing concerns over online fraudsters by providing a service that could shake up the Internet match-making industry and silence its critics.

Shore Network Connections LCC is offering paid members of its dating site, TheBadge.org, free access to investigationsnow.com, a powerful online database that allows users to perform detailed and discreet background checks on potential friends or dates.

'There has been a lot of controversy about online dating sites and the media has been complaining that there is no way for members to perform background checks on potential dates,' said Mr. Kenneth Bachman, President of Shore Network Connections

'For members of TheBadge.org, this is no longer a concern because they have the ability to make systematic checks on future partners.'

Bachman's initiative comes at a time when states have either implemented, or are considering, legislation to make criminal background checks binding on all online dating agencies.

New York has already passed a consumer law to regulate dating sites while several other states are keen on following suit.

With TheBadge.org providing a legal and reputable avenue for conducting background checks ' without the need for expensive private investigators ' users can now make unlimited online searches on individuals across any state and country.

The site provides public and vital sources as well as extensive individual searches. Its legal resources are used by private detectives and law enforcement officials around the world.

Members can now investigate potential partners to find out whether they are already married, bankrupt or have criminal records.

TheBadge.org was set up by Mr. Bachman, a New Jersey policeman, to help emergency service personnel such as police officers and firefighters get in touch with each other over the Internet.

In the past, conducting background checks on potential dates was a laborious process, often involving the need to hire expensive private investigators.

Some websites offer review services, in which members of certain online dating agencies would post comments on other users as references.

However, only through TheBadge.org, using investigationsnow.com, can users gain access to such accurate and detailed information.

Since the idea of legislation was first put forward more than a year ago, there has been a raging debate on whether such a move made sense.

Some online agencies said that targeting only web-based companies, and not offline entities such as newspaper personal ads, was biased.

Others believe mandatory background checks do not take into account potential offenders.

Bachman says his free service will give TheBadge.org an edge over offline dating agencies while raising the credibility of online sites.

'This will help convince people that our site is safe and probably encourage those who had previously never considered dating on the Internet to go online,' said Bachman.