Dating site uses biometrics to verify online dating profiles

Ruby Radar, a high-end Australian dating website aimed at executives and entrepreneurs, is using a biometric verification service to protect users from fake profiles which can be used to scam site members.

In order to strengthen its rigorous member screening process, Ruby Radar uses an ID verification solution from My Verified ID which compares members’ photos to government-issued ID such as a drivers licence or passport.

Users can sign into Ruby Radar through “My Verified ID” and other site members see a certificate on their account, showing that their identity has been additionally verified.

According to a Computerworld Australia post, around 42 percent of Ruby Radar members currently use the biometric verification service.

“The My Verified ID process is quite intensive”, Ruby Radar owner Trudy Gilbert said in a statement. “It’s a more thorough check than users are used to, but I think that acts as a screen for credible applicants.”

The FBI has issued statements around the growing threat of online dating scams. According to the FBI, among those targeting Americans, scammers usually portray themselves as Americans traveling or working abroad, and are most likely to target women over 40, who are divorced, widowed, and/or disabled. The scammer strings the target along with online communication before they ask for money and other favors.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 5,600 complaints in 2011 from victims of so-called “romance scammers,” reporting collective losses of $50.4 million.

Interestingly, while Ruby Radar has been using biometrics to stop online dating scammers, online dating site Match.com recently revealed plans to use facial recognition to more effectively find matches for premium members based on physical characteristics.

In partnership with Los Angeles-based matchmaking service Three Day Rule, Match.com plans on launching a premium service in which a user can submit pictures of their exes so the system can find matches according to a member’s physical “type”.

Recent market research has suggested that the facial recognition market is set to grow from its 2013 value of $1.92 billion to $6.5 billion in 2018, averaging 27.7 percent growth per year.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  My Verified ID  |  online dating  |  secure identification