True.com online dating service website to date online, meet singles, post personal ads, post pictures, chat in chatrooms, take personality test, flirt and get date

The Atlanta Journal - Constitution
Romance.com
CR's guide to online dating sites
01/18/07

Whether the outcome is wedding bells or dates from hell, Internet dating is big business.  It raked in an estimated $551 million this year, according to JupiterResearch.  And it isn’t just for 20-somethings: Fifty-five percent of subscribers to dating Web sites are at least 35 years old.

For our own study of the world of Internet dating, we asked an unmarried staff member to subscribe for one month to five of the biggest and best-known sites: AmericanSingles, eHarmony, Match.com, True, and Yahoo Personals.

She set up a conservative profile (being truthful and avoiding declarations apt to attract the wacky), registered, then used the sites as you would.  All the while, she kept an eye out for “gotchas.” We also asked the director of Consumer Reports WebWatch, which investigates Internet credibility, to assess each site’s privacy policy.  And we asked visitors to ConsumerReports.org to share their online dating experiences.

ABC News
Beware of Digital Don Juans
01/12/07

Online Dating Offers Many Opportunities to Hook Up -- and to Be Rooked.  Here's How to Protect Yourself.

Katherine Flansburg met her boyfriend through PlentyOfFish.com, a free online dating site.  Several months later, they moved in together.  Everything seemed to be going well until one morning when they were woken up by a loud banging on the door.

Katherine Flansburg met her boyfriend through PlentyOfFish.com, a free online dating site.  Several months later, they moved in together.  Everything seemed to be going well until one morning when they were woken up by a loud banging on the door.

"He was a piece of work," she recalled.

As long as people have been dating, there have been tales of liars, cheats and thieves.  In the Internet age, with the anonymity offered by e-mail, and with people blogging about their bad experiences, it seems like there are more examples of nefarious behavior than ever.

In the pre-Internet days, if a woman wanted to find out about her beau's background, or if a man wanted to make sure his new girlfriend wasn't a gold digger, they would have to hire a private investigator, an expensive and time-consuming process.  But 21st century daters have new tools that give them easy, inexpensive access to outlets through which they can run background checks on potential mates by tapping into databases and computerized records.

Reuters
Disillusioned online daters turn to matchmakers
11/01/06

BUY YOU A DRINK?

LONDON (Reuters) - Online daters, disappointed by potential partners lying about their age, weight or marital status, are turning to professional matchmakers to find love.

Rather than risk taking pot luck online, chief executives, entertainers and politicians are among those paying thousands of dollars to matchmakers to discreetly "headhunt" and vet the perfect partner.

"In the old days you had your extended family, or in some societies an actual matchmaker, trying to find someone for you," said dating expert Mary Balfour. 

"Nowadays people have a personal matchmaker in the same way they would have a personal trainer," she said at her Drawing Down the Moon agency in London's Adam and Eve Mews.

The stigma of online dating has waned since Internet dating sites sent thunderbolts flying in the world of romance and revolutionized the way people found partners.

Dallas Observer
An online dating service goes after fibbing sex offenders and married folk
10/26/06

BUY YOU A DRINK?

The good-looking stranger gestures toward the bartender, who looks up expectantly.  What'll it be? Beer? Martini? Background check?

Probably not the latter, as public records are hard to come by in bars.  Besides, finding out that someone's on the national sex offender registry is, generally speaking, a turn-off.  For most people on the dating scene, it's drinks first and questions later. 

Herb Vest, founder of Dallas-based online dating service True.com, cringes at that thought.  For the past two years, Vest has led a legal crusade against criminals who attempt to use his dating site.  After suing a California sex offender who signed up for True, Vest says his efforts have finally paid off in a settlement that he says makes his Web site safer for the millions of "unsuspecting women" going online to find love.

KEYE (CBS-Austin)
Online Dating Companies Work To Keep Clients Safe
10/19/06

(CBS 42) DALLAS Each year, the search for love has millions of Americans turning to the internet.

Knowing that online dating can come with risks, more and more companies are taking steps to keep their customers safe, but even the companies that say ‘safety comes first’ may be promising more than they can deliver.

CBS – Salt Lake City
Dating Websites Can Miss Criminals
10/17/06

(KUTV) Millions of Americans use the internet to search for love but online dating can come with some risks.  Take true.com for example.

Look at the disclaimer on the website.  It promises safer relationships through background checks, but even true.com admits that sex offenders and convicted felons can still make their way into the site.

Washington Times
Ladies, it's time to tackle TV football
10/15/06

Now is the time for all good women to walk softly and carry a big stick - and maybe a bowl of onion dip - as they enter the daunting land of men and football.  Why, a girl must prepare herself for the spectacle: There will be yelling, gnashing of teeth, shaking of fists and possibly throwing of coasters as men bear witness to the battle of the gridiron on TV screens across the land. 

Stand fast now, ladies.  There will be the wearing of ceremonial garments and the emergence of a strange language that combines guttural noises and stray bits of intelligent speech:

The Orange County Register
All's fair in love and sports

10/10/06

Shared interest can enhance a relationship, a dating poll finds.  Most men would prefer the ladies in their lives just admit they don't like it and go find something else to do.

Some, though, say they'd be happiest if their women just smiled and faked it.

We're talking sports, of course – what were you thinking? And whether it's the gridiron or the golf course, the baseball diamond or the basketball court, sports can make or destroy a relationship.

A new opinion poll by TRUE, an online relationship service, asked men and women for their opinions on sports and relationships, and found that while it's great if a couple shares an interest in sports, it's not mandatory.

"The most important thing to remember is identifying what you both enjoy doing," says Herb Vest, founder of TRUE.  "A good relationship includes a mix between common interests, as well as hobbies that the couple enjoys separately."

Other findings in the survey included:

Talk nice or say nothing.

• 76 percent of men and women prefer their dates admit they don't like sports and find something else to do.
• 21 percent say they would rather their mates fake interest until they learn to like it.
• 54 percent of survey participants say women tell "tiny fibs" about being sports fans to impress their dates or potential partners.

For the love of the game.

• 66 percent say they watch sports simply because they like them.
• 16 percent say watching sports is relaxing.
• 11 percent say it's a great time to hang with the guys.
• 2 percent say they like getting away from their mates.

Sports as deal-breaker.

• 39 percent of all respondents admit that in the past sports or sporting events have caused some amount of friction in their relationships.

Knowledge equals power.

• 38 percent of all survey participants say they find it a turn-on when a date knows as much (or more) about sports as they do.
• 43 percent of the male respondents proclaimed it was a turn-on.
• 31 percent of the female respondents found it sexy.

Source: Nationwide survey of more than 4,600 singles by TRUE.com, an online relationship service. 

Dallas Business Journal
True settles suit
10/06/06

Truebeginnings L.L.C., a Dallas online dating service, has settled a civil suit against a California man who it says hid a conviction of attempted lewd and lascivious conduct with a 13-year-old girl. 

Terms weren't released of Truebeginnings' settlement with Dr.  Robert Wells, who, according to court documents, had his medical license revoked following his July 2001 no-contest plea to the felony charge.  But in a news release, Truebeginnings, which operates True.com, says the settlement deal bars the 66-year-old Wells from using online dating services and cancels any current memberships in them. 

Truebeginnings says its deal requires Wells to pay an undisclosed sum of money to the company, which it will donate to an organization that tries to improve the safety of online dating. 

A suit that Wells filed against Truebeginnings in California was dismissed as part of the settlement, according to company CEO Herb Vest.

-- Jeff Bounds

Warrens Washington Internet Daily
Courts
10/03/06

Dating website True.com won a civil suit against an ex- con found to have misrepresented himself on the site (WID Nov 4 p10), the first such victory in the online dating industry, it said.  The U.S.  Dist.  Court, Dallas, barred Robert Wells of Walnut Creek, Cal.  -- listed in the Cal.  sex offender registry -- from using online dating or relationship services, required he cancel memberships in such sites and do community service and ordered him to pay True undisclosed monetary damages.  The company will donate the money to a consumer safety group, it said.  True's terms of service bar anyone married or convicted of a felony or sex offense from using the site.  When it filed suit, True said Cal.  law "protect[s] the privacy of criminals" by barring company access to criminal records.  It toned down the talk after the court win, saying only that it wants a law making criminal records available for background screening. 

True again slammed competing dating services for not doing background checks on prospects, which it says endangers users -- a charge Match.com among others has contested vigorously (WID April 15/05 p2).  True has pushed for state legislation to require dating sites to tell users whether they perform background checks.  It has been criticized by Web companies that said the highest-profile such proposal, in Fla., would apply broadly to their sector and couldn't prevent deception (WID April 27/05 p6).  The online dating industry should "follow our lead and show a real concern for their members' safety," CEO Herb Vest said.

amNew York
Waking up to the wide world of sports
10/02/06

To say I'm not a sports fan is a bit of an understatement.  Besides consistently (and predictably) being picked last in gym class, I managed to live in Chicago during the Bulls 'peat-a-thon and never attend a game, and I didn't know who Terrell Owens was until last week.  (Does that mean it's football season?)

Times Union
Relationship chameleons need to shed skin
09/30/06

I'm not a football fan and I don't appreciate jazz.  Frankly, if I met a tall, smart, funny _ perfect _ member of the NFL who played horn in a jazz band on the side, I wouldn't feign an interest in these things.  It's just not worth it.  Eventually I'd have to come clean.  Starting out a relationship with a lie is only grounds for complete collapse.  But people do it all the time.  I've been out with friends, heard them flirting and discussing a sudden interest in fine wine or the History Channel, and thought "What?"

Yet this desire to find common ground, even if it's not the real deal, is universal. 

I don't remember much of the cheesy reality dating show "The Bachelor" (which starts a new season Monday), but one scene has stuck with me.  In the third season with Andrew Firestone, a contestant, a lifelong vegetarian, ate lamb, just to impress Firestone.  It didn't work.  She was eliminated.

As appalled as I was that she'd go that far, I've done the stupid compromising beliefs thing myself.  In my (naive) college youth, I had a major thing for a guy who was as Catholic as Mel Gibson.  He was a graduate of the Catholic school system and was heavily involved with the on-campus church.

FindLaw
Legislating Love Online: Should States Mandate That Online Dating Sites Do Criminal Background Checks of their Users?
09/28/06

Social networking sites, online dating services, and even matchmaking sites have been around for some time now, but recently, they've become more and more popular.  Accordingly, states are growing increasingly wary about the risks of Internet dating - and are proposing laws to protect users from criminals or predators who may harm them. 

Are these laws a good idea? I'll evaluate the laws that exist, and that are being considered, and ask if self-regulation by websites might be an acceptable alternative.

New York Post
CHECK MATE - MORE WOMEN PAYING TO INVESTIGATE DATES; BEFORE DINNER, A BACKGROUND CHECK
09/27/06

RUNNING late for that date because you can't find the right shade of lipstick - or still waiting to hear back on that criminal background check?

Unless your guy lives in one of five states that don't release criminal records without a trip to the courthouse - we're looking at you, Massachusetts - it's easier than ever to find out the good, the bad and the property lien on everyone from sketchy crushes to longtime lovers. 

"The guys that women meet on dating sites, at least 50 percent of the time they are lying," says 62-year-old New York private investigator Skipp Porteous, whose favorite fibs include "I'm a Navy Seal," "I have a black belt in karate" and "I don't actually have two wives." And what about all those cute singles you're meeting without a high-speed connection?

Chances are, they're probably lying, too.  Which is bad news for you, good news for the booming world of private investigators, online "crim checks" and delving-into-your-personal-historybeforeyou-even-join dating sites.

The National Law Journal
Web dating industry is target of regulation
09/15/06

Several states are cracking down on the online dating industry, proposing new laws that would, among other things, mandate criminal background checks on all those looking for love on the Internet.

To date, New York is the only state that has a law regulating online dating sites, but six other states have introduced similar legislation mainly in the last year.  They are California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and Texas. 

Lawmakers seeking to regulate the online dating scene claim that the industry isn't doing enough to police itself, and consequently, is putting vulnerable people at risk of meeting up with predators. 

Not all dating Web sites, however, are resisting background checks.  TheBadge.org recently started offering free criminal background checks to paid members.  Another site, True, offers its users background checks on felons and married people. 

Dallas Business Journal
True.com makes a match in Irving
Fast-growing dating service snags additional space, plans to hire as many as 150
08/25/06

Two years ago, online matchmaker True.com leased 25,000 square feet for its headquarters at Williams Square in Las Colinas, thinking it would be enough space to accommodate its rapid growth.

Turns out, it wasn't even close. 

With 200 employees now crammed into that office, True has taken an additional 52,000 square feet at 300 Decker Drive in Irving to provide relief.  It expects to hire 100 to 150 people in the next 12 months. 

The Internet dating industry is growing, and so is True.com's market share, said Ruben Buell, president.

"We're doing very well," he said.  "We have 10 million members, and we're adding 30,000 new members a day -- think American Airlines Center."

Chicago Tribune
When tall and handsome turns out short and pudgy; Internet daters--and some legislators--want a little truth in advertising
07/30/06

"To restore credibility, Herb Vest, owner of True.com, has thrown down the gauntlet.  Three years ago, the 61-year-old Dallas financier rode into town like Wyatt Earp, promising to clean up the Wild West by offering background checks on clients and suing anyone who lies about felony convictions or marital status.  (When True.com filed suit against a California sex offender who got on the site earlier this year, it made national news.) Now, Vest is challenging competitors to do the same: Either disclose you do background checks, or clearly state that you don't.  Illinois state Rep.  John Bradley (D-Marion) said such measures "just make common sense" in an era of online predators, identity thieves and other con artists."

Contra Costa Times
Seniors ready to play dating game; They turn to singles groups, Internet
07/25/06

"True.com does background checks on its members to avoid romance scammers, which oftentimes prey on seniors."

Forbes.com
The Business Of Love
07/06/06

Take a look at Herb Vest's resume and it would be hard to call him a romantic.  Vest, the founder and CEO of online dating site True.com, spent his early career as an accountant.  Then, for 18 years, he was the chairman of H.D.  Vest Financial Services, a publicly traded company that was acquired by Wells Fargo in 2001.  But Vest's initial retirement wasn't peppered with golf excursions and games of bridge.  He spent that time proving that his father was murdered in 1946, and that the murder was covered up by police.  Until then, it was believed that he had committed suicide.  (The story was chronicled in a 48 Hours Mystery on CBS.) Vest then focused on finding the culprits.  That investigation is ongoing. 

Times Record News
Son vows to unearth cause of dad's death
Buddy Vest's murder still as much a mystery 60 years later
06/28/06

"Chief executive officer of online dating site True.com, Herb Vest has poured his money and his time into an extensive investigation.  A Web site, www.murderingainesville.com, details the latest theories and provides a forum for tips and information.  The "M.  Smith" letter, sent after a 2003 advertisement soliciting information, gave an explanation for Buddy Vest's death and the strange clothing he was wearing."

Northwest Florida Daily News
Beware Physical, Financial Dangers of I-Dating
06/15/06

One dating site, True.com, took a survey to test this theory, and found that single fathers do have an edge over single men without children when it comes to personality traits that promote deep relationship bonding.  "A number of published studies show that the relationship qualities most desired by females concern emotional and economic security," said Dr.  Jim Houran, chief psychologist of True.com. 

ABC News
Beware Physical, Financial Dangers of I-Dating
06/13/06

"The latest research finds more than 1,000 dating sites on the Web, and nearly 9 million Americans say they subscribed to dating Web sites during the last year, according to analysts at Jupiter Research.  A few, such as True.com, do background checks on subscribers, but most do not.  True.com is lobbying state legislatures for laws requiring background checks or at least clear warnings that users are on their own."

Corante
Online Dating Regulation Update
06/08/06

According to an article in The Washington Post, The Online Laws of Love, everybody is blond and skinny in cyberspace.  The article begins with classic examples of online dating scammers.  Russian brides, prisoners and progresses with brief mentions of the suits against Match and Yahoo, the Mail-order bride legislation as well as the ongoing background checks initiative started by Herb Vest at True.com. 

Forbes
Woman seeking man mom will approve; Dating sites specializing in religious, ethnic backgrounds gain favor, especially with parents
06/06

WEB SITE (SPECIFIC TRAIT) / VISITORS / CHANGE FROM '05
All dating sites: 25.4 million / -4%
Top mainstream sites:
true.com 3.6 million / +119%
match.com 3.8 million / +10%
eharmony.com 1.8 million / +35%
Yahoo Personals 5.3 million / -14%

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Finding mates in online dates; The over-70 set is the fastest-growing segment of digital dating.  But they are particularly vulnerable.
05/11/06

"And according to Herb Vest, who owns the Internet dating site True.com, the over-70 users are particularly vulnerable when they go online, if only because they have more money.  About 8 percent of True.com members over 70 from Pennsylvania and 10 percent from New Jersey report annual incomes of more than $250,000 a year.  This, Vest said, speaks to the need for eligible seniors to protect themselves and their assets.  "Our worst fear," he said, "is ending up on Jerry Springer as a victim." His advice: Take your time getting to know someone, watch out for people who are habitual victims or rescuers, have a heart-to-heart about money before you commit, and consider hiring someone to run a discreet background check on your intended.  Vest talked about what he called developing a baseline of knowledge: Take note of a person's tone and body language during conversation about harmless topics.  Then, he said, you will be in a better position to see any changes in that baseline behavior when more serious topics arise."

Dallas Morning News
Man's murder remains mystery after 50 years
04/24/06

"It's been two years and a day since Herb Vest drove from his home in north Dallas to Henrietta with his mother, Ruth, to watch as Cooke County officials pulled his father's casket from the ground.  That same bright April day they turned over the remains of Harold "Buddy" Vest to forensic investigators.  Herb and Ruth wanted to answer the question, once and for all, whether Buddy had truly committed suicide in Gainesville more than 50 years ago, when Herb was a toddler and Ruth was just 22."

New York Times
Despite Laws, Stalkers Roam On the Internet
04/17/06

Claire E.  Miller, a 44-year-old publishing executive in Manhattan, recently stripped her nameplate from the tenant directory at the entrance to her Kips Bay apartment building, where she has lived for more than 11 years…And yet one service, True.com, has quickly become one of the most popular personals sites by conducting background checks on anyone seeking to make a connection.  Its staff promises to prosecute those who misrepresent themselves on the site -- a concept that Ms.  Miller might endorse.  She said she planned to pursue her tormenter until he is found. 

The Tampa Tribune
EDITORIAL
04/12/06

It would be nice if the only warning women needed about Internet dating were this: If his picture looks as if it was taken at central booking or off a terrorist watch list - and a surprising number of them do - don't date him…Online dating legislation nationwide emanates from one company, True.com, which touts its background checks and promises to prosecute married people who pretend to be single for fraud.  The company has persuaded safety-minded lawmakers to push legislation that would give True.com a competitive edge. 

Chron.com
Cold Hard Cash or Red Hot Love? Today's Singles Choose Love; New Survey From TRUE(R) Finds That Singles Still Believe in Old-Fashioned Romance, but Know That Men Don't Have to be the Breadwinners
04/10/06

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but American singles still choose love over money, a new survey says.  A nationwide survey conducted by TRUE, the leading scientifically based online relationship service, reports that when it comes to relationships, nearly 4,000 single Americans agree that money can't buy love. 

The Courier Mail
Some online loves can be criminal
04/08/06

JOSIE Phyllis Brown never had a chance against her 2m tall killer, although his stature was one of the few things she should have known from his internet profile…"To think a felon could find a victim, especially for a heinous crime, gives me the heebie-jeebies.  "I do all I can do to prevent that," said Herb Vest, chief executive of True.com. 

Times Online
Online, no one kicks sand in your face
04/04/06

With internet dating, who needs Charles Atlas? Your secrets stay secret My friend, let's call her Jenny, put it well: "I like being a bit more in control.  And sometimes I like contacting people when I'm slobbing around in jim-jams." The absence of dress stress is only one benefit when you're looking for romance online.  Men and women are now able to approach and abandon each other as equals, probably for the first time in history, thanks to computers...  contact is always corralled within the membership site, anyway, until a decision is made to trade personal e-mail addresses or telephone numbers.  In America, True.com even conducts criminal background checks on clients.  You don't get that from nightclub doormen. 

The New York Times
Making Small Talk With the Boss's Spouse
04/02/06

Q.  Your boss's spouse is always very friendly at company gatherings, and you're not sure how to respond.  What should you do? A.  First, assume that whatever you say to the boss's spouse will get back to the boss… It's also wise to shy away from sharing secrets.  Kerensa Vest, whose husband, Herb, is the chief executive of True.com, an online dating service in Dallas, said that at a company party, one of his employees, who had drunk too much, admitted to having an extramarital affair with a co-worker.  "It's great when employees treat me just like everybody else, but sometimes I think that trust goes too far," she said.  "I don't care if I'm the C.E.O.'s wife or whoever — sharing that kind of information in a work environment just isn't professional."

The Wall Street Journal Online
Mism@tched.com
04/01/06

IN 1995, MATT Frassica, tired of singles bars and set-ups by friends, tried his hand at dating online.  There he met, and later married, a woman who also liked long walks in the rain and homemade lasagna… True.com pitches a compatibility test (patent pending) that it says follows standards set by the American Psychological Association; one aim is to reduce divorce...  Says Herb Vest, founder of True.com: "The reason we go to work: to lower the divorce rate." His site requires users to undergo criminal background checks and also analyzes public records to try to ensure that no one on the site is already married and looking for a fling. 

TwinCities.com
Hottest new online dating asset: health insurance
04/06

Christine Ferris is searching online for that special someone.  "I would like to meet a man who can relax and enjoy the woods, the fog, the sea, the mountains," says her profile on dating site True.com.  "Someone who can feel the wonder of nature.  I am a romantic and you are, too." Also, her ideal man should "have health insurance and use it."

The Wall Street Journal Online
Got Abs? Personality? Health Insurance Won't Hurt, Either
Online Daters See Big Benefits In Mates With Coverage; Mr.  David's Proposition
03/22/06

Christine Ferris is searching online for that special someone.  "I would like to meet a man who can relax and enjoy the woods, the fog, the sea, the mountains," says her profile on dating site True.com1.  "Someone who can feel the wonder of nature.  I am a romantic and you are too." Also, her ideal man should "have health insurance and use it."

BusinessWeek
Must Love Wing Tips: Executives tend to list eyes as their best feature
02/20/06

“We figured that asking single executives to talk about their love lives would be a frustrating, probably futile pursuit.  We might as well be inquiring about their mental health.  So we turned to several online matchmaking sites to get the lowdown on what the lonely hearts in the executive suite secretly yearn for… Executives are sexually adventurous.  True.com, a fast-growing matchmaking site, offers a sexual compatibility quiz that puts people into one of eight categories, from "traditionalists" to "mavericks." Sixteen percent of executive members are mavericks, vs.  12% overall.  "They're willing to do just about anything," says True.com founder Herb Vest, "within the normal parameters."

The New York Post
E-VIL STALKS DATING SITES
02/12/06

Convicted sex offenders are lurking on popular online dating sites, waiting to turn you from hopeless romantic to hapless victim.  The Post found two sex offenders, and learned of another ex-con, lurking on Match.com — the world's largest and most popular Internet dating service — last week…Wells hasn't fooled everyone.  He was thrown off dating site True.com in November for lying about his status as a convicted felon when he signed up.  True.com — the only online dating site that does background checks — also took the doctor to court for the lie.  True CEO Herb Vest said Wells got through the background check because the county in which he was arrested refuses to give criminal records to commercial businesses.  "I am very, very concerned that Internet dating sites in general do not take this criminal situation seriously," said Vest, who is advocating legislation requiring dating sites to disclose on their home pages whether they do background checks.  "It's imperative to our industry that we keep criminals off our sites." Wells had previously been spotted on eHarmony and Yahoo! Personals, Vest said.

USA TODAY
A Third of CEOs Would Seek a New Skill
12/28/05

Steele Platt, founder and CEO of Yard House USA, says his New Year's resolution is to drink each of the 100 brands of beer on draft that the restaurant chain sells during 2006 "and maintain a 34-inch waist." … It's never too late.  Vietnam veteran Herb Vest, CEO of online dating site True, says he is "working slowly on a degree in IT." That's because he thinks a broad view of information technology is essential to virtually everyone in business.

Miami Herald
Matchmaking online: Is it love or a lie?
12/18/05

''Kimberly'' is a fit blue-eyed blonde from California who says she likes martinis and walks in the rain...  .  Rep.  Ambler said he got the idea for his legislation from Herb Vest, a 61-year-old Dallas financier who started True.com, which markets itself as the only Internet dating site that will do criminal background checks and pursue prosecution of those who lie about their criminal past.  True routinely rejects subscribers for being married.  Vest went through his own difficult but amicable divorce from his wife of 25 years.  He remarried but spent a great deal of time surfing dating sites, an exercise he says was depressing.  But it conveyed to him the dollar power of cyber love.  True filed suit last month against a California doctor who claimed that he had a clean record when in fact he was a convicted sex offender.

Wisconsin Law Journal
When Online love Goes Wrong
12/14/05

As more and more people turn to the Internet to find their soul mate, lawyers believe online dating sites could become breeding grounds for negligence claims… The online dating site True.com and a number of “safer dating” interest groups are supporting state-level legislation aimed at reducing the dangers of online dating… True.com already performs criminal background checks of its users, including a check of whether the individual is married.  According to Terra Gray, vice president of government affairs for the Texas-based company, about 5 percent of the people who attempt to enter a profile are actually married, and another 5 percent are convicted felons, according to their background checks.

USA Today
Herb Vest, CEO of True.com, says background checks can help online dating
12/13/05

Herb Vest, CEO of True.com, says background checks can help the online dating industry's credibility at a time when the number of paid subscriptions to such services is rising slowly but steadily after three years of dramatic growth.  "It's going to be better for everyone if the online dating industry is seen as a safe place," Vest says.

USA TODAY
Background checks split matchmaking sites
12/12/05

A debate among online dating companies over whether their websites should be required to say whether they do criminal background checks on clients has spilled over into state legislatures, a reflection of the websites' rising competitiveness…True.com, a Dallas-based online dating service, started the ruckus in July 2004 when it began touting its criminal background checks and wrote proposed legislation that would force online dating sites to say whether they conduct such checks.  The proposal has been considered by legislatures in California, Virginia, Ohio, Texas, Florida and Michigan, but none has passed it…Herb Vest, CEO of True.com, says background checks can help the online dating industry's credibility at a time when the number of paid subscriptions to such services is rising slowly but steadily after three years of dramatic growth.

Stockton Record
Sex offender complains about TRUE
12/07/05

A California sex offender complains about TRUE.com's background screenings.

Contra Costa Times, Kansas City Star
Dating sites crack down on convicts
11/28/05

WALNUT CREEK - Robert Wells advertised himself on an online dating service as a semiretired physician who enjoys wine tasting, "The Sopranos" and reading science fiction...  a True.com member told the current service, Dallas-based True.com, that Wells was lying.  Not only had the medical board revoked his license, according to a lawsuit, but he also was a convicted sex offender… The company sued Wells earlier this month in U.S.  District Court in Texas, alleging Wells committed fraud by misrepresenting himself when he agreed, during sign-up, to a contract stating he was not a felon.  Wells was one of what True.com officials say is less than 10 percent of people who get around the company's background check.  "I make a promise to my members," said Herb Vest, True's chief executive officer.  "If you are clever enough to get around our site securities, I'm going to prosecute." Wells said he did not intentionally misrepresent himself and does not recall agreeing to a contract.  "I don't think (the suit) has a basis," he said.  "There was no representation of anything at any time.  I just signed up." True.com is suing Wells for at least $200,000.  The suit comes at a time when several state governments, including California's, are considering laws to ensure online dating services conduct background checks or tell visitors that the site does not conduct background checks -- a move that blocks revenue from potential members who get screened out.

Ebony Magazine
SEX with your EX Should You Reignite Your Past Romance?
11/05

Should you reignite your past romance? WHEN it was decided that the two of you should live separate lives (let's not even get into who dumped whom!), you told yourself that there were more fish in the sea and you knew that you still had the goods to reel a few of them in… Knowing your compatibility on the front-end could ultimately result in fewer divorces and breakups on the back-end, according to Herb Vest, founder and CEO of True.com, an online dating community that provides relationship readiness tools and advice in order to prevent ill-fated hook-ups.  "When people break up, the problem usually [involves] truthfulness, openness and faithfulness,"Vest says." These issues have to be dealt with, and usually there is miscommunication.  Pre-relationship counseling allows people to get together and discuss their differences upfront."

Union Leader
Safety? A nice photo? Help's out there, for a fee
10/23/05

Consultation with online dating adviser: $30.  Dating profile makeover: $70.  Professional profile photos: $130.  Criminal background check: $20.  Finding the perfect match: Priceless… True.com screens for convicted felons and married people, and requires all members to state that they are neither.  Approximately 5 percent of the site’s applicants fail to pass the felony screening and another 4 percent fail the marriage screening, CEO Herb Vest said.  “If you go to any other site my guess would be probably 10 to 11 percent of the people on the site will have felony convictions, and I’ve heard estimates as high as 30 percent of the people on some sites are married,” Vest said.

RedEye - Produced by the Chicago Tribune
Wild? Traditional? Find out what your sexual desires say about you
10/07/05

Don't feel bad if you haven't had a threesome yet.  Despite the prevalence of sex in American pop culture, most people are pretty conservative in the bedroom and have a hard time communicating desires to their partners, sex therapist Ian Kerner said… Discovering who you are sexually may be easier said than done.  For those looking for a shortcut, Dallas-based dating service true.com is trying to help people find out what satisfies them with a new "Sexploration Test." The quiz, which is designed to help daters find compatible partners, is free for registered users and allows them to determine where they rate in eight categories that measure sexual personality types, said true.com founder and CEO Herb Vest.  True also offers a general compatibility test, but Vest said the company designed the sex test because the physical aspects of a relationship are just as important as the emotional elements… True.com's sex test, which has been reviewed by a panel of psychologists, asks questions about your sexual comfort zone, such as whether or not you enjoy watching porn with your partner or if you'd be willing to have sex outdoors.  The test is tailored to individual responses, so some questions are different for each person depending on their answers.  Most test-takers are sexually conservative, Vest said.  About 30 percent of respondents nationwide are "traditionalists," or people who are comfortable with sex but who have not really explored their fantasies.  Roughly 30 percent are "intellectuals," meaning they have fantasized about racier sex but have not acted on those desires.  Only about 15 percent of test-takers are "mavericks," or people who are uninhibited and adventurous in bed…Sidebar: True.com's Sexploration Test says you may be one of these eight sexual types.  Check out how you compare with others who have taken the online test.

USA TODAY
Meeting CEO's spouse can affect job in good way, or bad
08/28/05

What you say or do around the CEO might sink your career.  That's hardly a news flash.  But a blunder around the CEO's spouse can be just as devastating… Kerensa Vest is the wife of Herb Vest, CEO of the 90-employee online dating company True.  They regularly host company parties at their home in Dallas.  Kerensa has resorted to blocking the stairs with ribbons after catching True employees upstairs looking in her closet and medicine cabinet, not just once, but "virtually every time we have a companywide function," she says in an e-mail interview.  The barricades seem effective, so far, but she empties the medicine cabinet as a precaution.

Black Enterprise
For online daters, love not always true
08/04/05

As dating moves from clicking in bars to clicking a mouse, questions are arising about what online dating services are doing to protect subscribers from deception.  Of course, trickery can run the gamut, from the minor issue of hair color to the major problem of an extensive criminal background.

Dallas Morning News
For online daters, love not always true
08/04/05

DallasNews.com revisits legislation that would require online dating sites to disclose whether or not they conduct criminal background screenings on all communicating members.  True.com’s founder and CEO Herb Vest is quoted.

Daily Herald
Sex is good for you!
Benefits include a boosted immune system, stress relief and better sleep
07/26/05

True.com's chief psychologist Dr.  Jim Houran discusses sex and relationships.  "Recently, researchers have found some truth behind the often-scoffed-at condition of lovesickness," Houran said.  "In fact, this feeling of drunken pleasure, caused by the natural high of dopamine, is very real, with both positive and negative effects."

Online Personals Watch
Online Personals Watch Interviews Herb Vest, CEO, True.com
06/17/05

Mark Brooks of Online Personals Watch Interviews Herb Vest, CEO, True.com. 

PC Magazine
Bits & Bites: FACE-OFF
06/08/05

If passed, a bill pending in the Florida legislature would require online dating companies to indicate clearly on their sites whether or not they provide background checks on their users (True.com already does), allegedly to identify predators and felons. 

Los Angeles Times
Online cupids resist background checks
06/06/05

Dating has always been a delicate dance of information swapping: What to reveal when? Now some lawmakers want to regulate it by requiring online dating services to conduct background checks on clients…Most online dating sites, including IAC/InterActiveCorp's Match.com and Yahoo Inc.'s Yahoo Personals, oppose background-check bills in key statehouses around the U.S.  But competitor True supports them — and, in fact, is bankrolling the campaign.  True's founder and chief executive, Herb Vest, believes that every online dating service should conduct checks.  "The primary motivation is to protect people from criminal predation online," Vest said.  "I can't imagine anyone with a hatful of brains being against that." Vest said he spent $200,000 last year on lobbyists around the country.  Although opponents charge that his goal is to gain publicity for his site, the legislation has met with at least some success in four states.

The New Jersey Record
Can it last? The Cruise/Holmes follies
06/06/05

Everybody has a theory about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. It could be love, says Dr.  James Houran, chief psychologist for True.com, an online dating service… But the public scrutiny and judgment may be more than an annoyance to these folks.  Sometimes, it can deeply affect the dynamic of their relationship.  Just as any normal relationship thrives under the support of friends and family, celebrity romances work best when the rest of the world is cheering them on, says Houran.  "The family and friends in the inner circles of celebrities are not the only pressure on them," he says.  "Their public, their fan base is a huge pressure on them.  If they are supportive of them, that is a positive thing.  If they are skeptical or if they think it is wrong, that is pressure against them."

Fox News
Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire
06/01/05

One in three single men says he wants to snag a woman who outearns him, according to dating Web site True.com.  Research from True.com presented to the national media on gold diggers in early 2005 garners interest from Fox News Channel.

Chicago Tribune – Online Edition
Dating Online May Get More Personal
05/29/05

The background-check service that True uses is Memphis-based Rapsheets Criminal Records. "We think we do a good job in covering the country," said Camille Gamble, director of marketing at Rapsheets.  "But no non-government database can be 100 percent."

Concord Monitor
Cupid Aims for Background Checks
05/27/05

"This is one of those feel-good kind of legislations that politicians can get behind," said analyst Charlene Li of Forrester Research Inc.

Winston-Salem Journal
Checking on Online Daters a Growing Issue
05/26/05

"The background checks won't be 100 percent effective, but if they're 50 percent effective, then that's better than nothing," said Jayne Hitchcock, the president of Working to Halt Online Abuse, a nonprofit group that monitors online harassment.  WHOA said it works to empower victims and educate online users and law-enforcement personnel.  "This year so far we've received half a dozen complaints of harassment from people who met through an online dating service," Hitchcock said.  The highest number of complaints came from people who met through an online bidding service, in which the seller or buyer filed a harassment complaint," Hitchcock said. 

A&E’s Caesars 24/7
05/21/05

True.com members SydStac and xvote meet for the first time at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for the taping of A&E’s Caesars 24/7.

Tampa Bay Tribune (Tampa Bay Online)
Reps.  Clarify Bill
05/18/05

A letter to the editor appearing in the May 6 Tampa Bay Tribune completely misrepresented the safer online dating bills True.com and the Safer Online Dating Alliance proudly sponsored in Florida this session.  The bills that were filed have never required that an online dating company conduct a criminal background check.  Representative Kevin Ambler of the Florida House of Representatives responds to misinformation.

Yahoo! News
True.com Forms Exclusive Partnership With AskMen.com
05/11/05
"Statistics show that men are just as -- if not more -- active in online dating as women, and our 'Dating and Love' and 'Sexuality' sections are two of the most visited resources on AskMen.com," said Ashkan Karbasfrooshan of AskMen.com.  "We've been looking for an online personals partner that holds itself to the same level of quality that we do, and TRUE was the obvious choice.  TRUE has clearly differentiated itself in this crowded industry via its focus on science and security."

Tallahassee.com
Online Dating Bill Was About Safety
05/10/05

Letter to the editor by FL Representative Kevin Ambler in response to misinformation by online dating safety opponents. 

A Day in Tallahassee
05/07/05

Florida lawmakers and advocates prepared to move forward to give more information to help growing number of Floridians using online dating services.

Fort Worth Star Telegram, San Antonio Express News, Dallas Morning News, Austin American Statesman
Legislative Notebook - Online Romance
04/29/05

A bill that would require online dating services to disclose whether they conduct criminal background checks passed its first hurdle Thursday.  The Senate Criminal Justice Committee approved the bill, which will move to the Senate floor.

ComputerSecurityNews.com
Online Dating Background checks
04/29/05

Online dating background checks get legislative push.

WFAA.com
Panel OKs Bill Targeting Dating Sites
04/29/05

A Texas Senate committee approved a bill Thursday that provides a strong incentive for online dating sites to conduct criminal background checks on members.

Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO
Match made in cyberspace
04/29/05

"If done correctly, compatibility testing is the key to finding long-lasting relationships, as it helps significantly narrow down the playing field to only well-suited individuals," said Dr.  Jim Houran, chief psychologist at True.  "What's frightening is that millions of online daters could be using compatibility tests that are seriously flawed or without scientific merit."

Because of the anonymous nature of online dating, a major issue of this growing trend is safety. 

Tampa Bay Business Journal
Online Businesses Concerned About Florida Bill
04/28/05

The bill, sponsored by Rep.  Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, and Sen.  Victor Crist, R-Tampa, would require criminal background checks or disclosures for users of online dating services. 

If passed, the bill would create government regulation over a currently unregulated business.

Online Dating Is Split Over the Bill
04/27/05

The bill passed the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee Tuesday but still must be scheduled for a floor vote in the waning days of the session.  Although True.com has pushed similar legislation in six other states, no other bill has made it this far. 

Bill Approved Requiring Judge's Consent for a Felon to Get Bail After Violating Probation
04/27/2005

Online dating sites that don't do background checks would have to put a warning on their Web site under a bill approved Tuesday in a Senate committee over the objection of some of the biggest players in the Internet matchmaking world.  The measure's sponsor, Sen.  Victor Crist, said it was a simple safety issue. 

AllHeadlineNews.com
Do Dating Websites Perform Background Checks?
04/26/05

President of Working to Halt Online Abuse, J.A.  Hitchcock, says "It's the web sites that don't do background checks that are against this legislation, which begs the question 'What are they trying to hide'."

Tampa Bay Tribune (Tampa Bay Online)
Some Predators Seek Women With Kids
04/24/05

Sex offenders aren't the only danger parents face when they start dating again. 

Jim Houran, a psychologist with the online dating service True.com, said parents sometimes invite people into their homes who don't harm their children sexually but do in other ways.

Online Personals Watch
OPW Exclusive Interview #1 - R-Kevin Ambler
04/20/05

Online Personals Watch interviews safer online dating legislation sponsor Representative Kevin C.  Ambler of Florida. 

Jossip.com
True.com: Where married folk get fined
04/18/05

We, uh, swear it (up and down, crossing the heart and the whole deal) that we only came across this because we accidentally clicked on an advertisement for the online dating service True.  And lucky us, we had just found that 1-800-DIVORCE ad in the subway car so this warning no longer applies.

Cosmopolitan Magazine
04/18/05

True.com’s Chief Psychologist Dr.  Jim Houran discusses "4 Truths about Guys and Dating" in the May issue of Cosmo Magazine. 

Tampa Tribune
Online Matchmaker Urges Criminal Disclaimer
04/12/05

"You don't know who's typing away on these sites.  You don't know what their intentions are,'' said Republican Sen.  Victor Crist, sponsor of Senate Bill 1768.  ``If you're sitting on a bar stool, it's impossible for the person you are flirting with to have a disclaimer on their jacket, but on the Internet you can have that disclaimer."

ABCNews.com
Bill Blotter: Anti-Pimp Bill Under Discussion in Nevada
04/11/05

Proponents of the bills in Texas, Florida, California, Ohio and Michigan argue that virtual dating can attract real criminals and want to protect those looking for love from finding an Internet-lurking rapist or stalker instead.

Wired.com
Keeping Online Daters Honest
04/08/05

Passing this legislation may save a life.

Orlando Sentinel
Is Dating-service Legislation Just Another Marketing Ploy?
04/07/05

True.com is one of the only dating sites that performs background checks on customers.  They argue that sexual and violent crimes that could result from an Internet dating-site rendezvous make it important that its competitors do the same.

St.  Petersburg Times
Florida bill wants online dates vetted: True.com, which offers background checks, backs the legislation. 
04/07/05

This bill is to get people to think about their safety," Ambler told the House Criminal Justice Committee Wednesday.  "We do say love is blind.  This is to put a disclosure there so we can lift the blinders.

Bills mandate criminal checks for online daters
04/07/2005

True.com, an online dating service that conducts criminal background checks on its users, has been pushing for the law.  The company says the checks protect customers from Internet predators who use anonymity to prey on unsuspecting victims.  "This is a new breed of crime we're seeing," said Bill Rathburn, True.com security adviser and former Dallas police chief.  "It's a growing problem and one that will continue to grow."

Virtual dating can attract real criminals, and some lawmakers want the state to help protect lovelorn singles from stalkers and rapists lurking on the Internet. 
04/06/2005

"You just don't know who's on the other end of that keyboard,'' said Sen.  Victor Crist, the Senate sponsor of the bill.  "You're more anxious about meeting Mr.  Right than you are concerned about meeting Mr.  Wrong.''

Can video clips steer Cupid's arrows?
03/31/2005

After exchanging instant messages and digital photos through an online dating site, Christopher Boykin flew to Houston to meet what he hoped would be a beautiful soul mate.  What he found was a flabby misanthrope with an apparent drinking problem… Only 10 percent of 2.8 million active users at True.com post videos, but the percentage is rising quickly and online profiles with video get more hits than those without, said Taylor Cole, senior director of marketing at Irving, Texas-based True.com, which launched videos last summer.  "Once people understand the benefit of actually hearing someone's voice and seeing them in a broader perspective than just a static photo, they'll never want to go back to simple pictures and e-mail," Cole said.

Times Herald-Record
Middleton, NY
Can video clips steer Cupid's arrows?
03/31/05

Only 10 percent of 2.8 million active users at True.com post videos, but the percentage is rising quickly and online profiles with video get more hits than those without, said Taylor Cole, senior director of marketing at Irving, Texas-based True.com, which launched videos last summer.  "Once people understand the benefit of actually hearing someone's voice and seeing them in a broader perspective than just a static photo, they'll never want to go back to simple pictures and e-mail," Cole said.

Philadelphia Daily News
Internet honesty elusive
03/30/2005

SHORTLY after her divorce, Shelley Fleming signed onto an Internet dating site and began exchanging emails with a 6-foot, 3-inch tall New Jersey investment banker...  But such a law wouldn't have protected anyone from Eichinger, who reportedly had no criminal background.  Nor can you rely on private firms that do background checks for sites such as True.com, which incidentally, is behind the push to get states to require the background checks.

Louisville Courier Journal
Mastering Art of Small Talk Can Reap Big Rewards
03/25/05

Houran finds that people in high-pressure jobs in particular may see small talk as a distraction. "Most people find small talk difficult when they have no beneficial motive to engage in it," says Houran. But he identifies three reasons, conscious or not, that we chat each other up…

SitNews.com
A Truly Scary Addition to the Online Dating Scene
03/23/05

A new evolution in the online dating genre, TRUE makes plain on its home page that it will not tolerate married men or women hoping to find an illicit affair.  The site promises a background check for all users, using public records to verify your single-hood. 
According to the site, "Saying you are single if you are married constitutes fraud and could subject you to civil and criminal penalties under federal and state law.  TRUE reserves the right to report violators to law enforcement authorities and seek prosecution or civil redress to the fullest extent of the law."

Modesto Bee
A Truly Scary Addition to the Online Dating Scene
03/23/05

Security on these Web sites is a big concern, and a face-to-face meeting with an online stranger can be a huge risk.  He may type the wittiest e-mail you've ever read, but it's no guarantee he's not a nutter.  So TRUE is taking a step in the right direction by offering some online peace of mind.

Detroit Free Press
MIKE WENDLAND: Online-protection bills are mostly just symbolic
03/23/05

The legislation is the brainchild of Herb Vest, a Dallas businessman who founded a dating site called True.com.  Vest has been shopping his proposed law around to legislatures across the country and got Michigan and five other states to bite. 

The Indianapolis Star
Make small talk, get big results
Watch and listen first, and the words will follow
03/18/05

Why can otherwise innocuous silences on a date or an interview feel so excruciating? "We have this incredible language ability, knowing an average of 60,000 words by the time we reach adulthood," says Dr.  James Houran, director of psychological studies at the dating service True.com.  "We don't like silence."

WBIR.COM
Finding a date is just a keystroke away
03/15/05

Up to 40% of all men lie about their marital status or other critical details.  True.com does criminal background checks and runs the names of its clients through marriage license databases to make sure they are single.

Online-protection bills are mostly just symbolic
03/14/2005

Michigan legislators seem to be getting the message that their constituents are fed up with spam, spyware and sleazy online scams...  It's the brainchild of Herb Vest, a Dallas businessman who founded a dating site called True.com.  Vest has been shopping his proposed law around to legislatures across the country and got Michigan and five other states to bite.  Why? Because Vest's site distinguishes itself from the dozens of competitors in the lucrative online dating industry by screening member names through a database of criminal records and public records on marriage licenses.  The rest of the online dating industry opposes such legislation and contends True.com's background checks are far from comprehensive.

Shoot the breeze
03/04/2005

Tossing off sparkling dialogue to strangers can challenge even the most eloquent of us.  But the social and occupational rewards for the person who can shoot the breeze are rich: the friends, the job, the dates, the extra whipped cream on the mocha… Yet filling dead air is an instinct.  Why can otherwise innocuous silences on a date or an interview feel so excruciating? "We have this incredible language ability, knowing an average of 60,000 words by the time we reach adulthood," says Dr.  James Houran, a clinical psychologist based in Irving, Texas, who is also director of psychological studies at the dating service True.com.  "We don't like silence."

Internet Week
Online Dating Sites Quarrel Over Background Checks
03/03/05

"We believe this legislation would save lives and prevent rapes, robberies and assaults," Herb Vest, chief executive for True.com, said Thursday.  "I believe this raises the bar on the industry and it would bring many more single people, currently not using online-dating services, into our industry, once it's perceived as safe."

E-Commerce Times
Regulation of Online Dating Services Sparks Controversy
03/03/05

True.com has persuaded state legislatures to sponsor bills that would force its competitors, such as Match.com and Yahoo Personals, to place prominent warnings on all their e-mail and personal advertisements stating that they have not conducted felony conviction or FBI searches on the particular individual.

Internet Week Online
Dangerous Dating
03/05

As many of you know, I'm not shy about calling for government regulation of business, when I believe it's needed.  But an online dating service in Irving, Texas, is trying to convince state lawmakers into passing what sounds like a real dumb idea… As you would expect, True.com's far larger and older rivals, as well as just about everyone else in the industry, hate the proposals.  They say the laws wouldn't make anyone any safer, and could actually be more damaging by giving daters a false sense of security.  Opposing True.com's campaign is really a no brainer.  Meeting someone online isn't anymore dangerous than meeting someone at a bar, especially if you've had a few too many. 

Springfield News-Leader
Mastering small talk can lead to big rewards
02/24/05

Houran identifies three reasons we chat each other up…

AlterNet.org
Love Machines
02/23/05

Houran of True calls screening for emotional instability unethical.  "Our test and our service does not discriminate against anybody with a mental disability," he says.  "We do not get into diagnosing.  I know of no psychiatrist that would endorse any online method of diagnosing anybody."

More Turning to Sites with Video When Looking for Love Online
02/14/05

Boykin's new policy: He'll only date women who post videos or use Web cameras in virtual chat rooms.  Like other "early adopters" of the technology, he insists that videos provide far more information than standard photos, which may be doctored or out of date, snapped before Juliet added another 20 pounds or Romeo lost his hair.

The Denver Post
How do I love thee? Let's see.. 
02/14/05

It is possible to rekindle the lost art of the love letter.  A True.com expert discusses ways to convey your true feelings through writing romantically. 

Love growing strong on Web?
02/14/05

More than 30% of those playing the field online admit to being married or living with significant others, Keynote reports.  No wonder 45% of respondents express a desire for background checks of other members.  (Keynote surveyed 2,000 customers and 2,000 prospective customers of 10 dating sites.)

Austin American-Statesman
Don't blush; it's just a crush
02/14/05

The safest route is to confess your crushes to your true love.  "When it's out in the open, it helps you.  If you joke about it, it lets them know there is no threat," Houran explains.

Cleveland Plain Dealer
From the Net to the Knot in 5 Weeks
02/13/05

LaSota said she's not concerned about moving along so fast with someone she's known for little more than a month.  True.com does a criminal background and marriage check on dating applicants…

The Denver Post
In 24/7 World Economy, Love Happens
02/13/05

It takes a special couple to make it work," said James Houran, a psychologist for True.com, a Dallas-based dating service.  "If all you are doing is talking about work, that's not healthy.

Inside Bay Area
Background check proposals whip up controversy
02/13/05

We have proposed legislation in several states that would require Internet dating sites to make full disclosures as to whether or not they do background checks on their customers," said Herb Vest, the chief executive and founder of True.com.

Tallahassee.com
Cupid Bedevils Modern Women
02/12/05

True.com, a dating Web site with 2.7 million users, reports that 35 percent of its male customers request women who make more money than they do.  Honeys and dolls, gorgeous or not, beware.

Video Clips Aim to Steer Cupid's Arrows
02/11/05

10 percent of active users at True.com post videos, but the percentage is rising quickly and online profiles with video get more hits than those without…

Chicago Tribune
16% of Surfers Visit Dating Sites
02/10/05

True.com ranked in Top 5 Dating Sites according to unique visitors.

Albany Times Union
Meeting the Parents a Story Line We All Face
02/05/05

It often means, "This is going to another level," says James Houran, chief psychologist with True.com, an online dating site.  How well your boyfriend or girlfriend gets along with your parents can also determine if the relationship has staying power, Houran adds

Reinventing Online Love
01/27/05

We're very gratified that we've saved a lot of people from potential physical and emotional hazards," says founder and CEO Herb Vest.  The checking "doesn't totally eliminate that hazard, but it does lower the incidence of it."

Christian Science Monitor
Online Dating Sites Aren't Holding People's Hearts
01/27/05

Is he already married?
Enter True.com, a new site that runs background checks on customers.  About 5 percent of potential users are banished because they may have criminal records, and about 4 percent get the boot because public records suggest they're married, says spokeswoman Taylor Cole.  If they're actually single, they can try again to join the service.

What is Barry Diller Hiding?
10/15/04

Herb Vest challenges Barry Diller to join True’s nationwide campaign for much-needed online dating safety legislation. 

July 22 2004

TECHBITS: Filtering Philanderers

Web Guide
7/22/04

Online dating service to verify single status of wannabe Romeos

Married Free Zone
7/22/04

It may be getting a little harder for married people to cheat -- at least if they are looking to hook up online.

7/22/04

Online dating service to verify single status of wannabe Romeos

Baltimore, MD
POSTED: 11:45 am EDT July 22, 2004

Dating Site Filters Philanderers

Site Checks Public, Criminal Records

Charlotte, NC
01:34 PM EDT on Thursday, July 22, 2004
By The Associated Press

True.com filters philanderers

The Wall Street Journal via Dow Jones
Technology Journal: Digits
[Gambits & Gadgets in the World of Technology]
7/22/04

Married Free Zone

It may be getting a little harder for married people to cheat -- at least if they are looking to hook up online.

Associated Press, July 21, 2004

Online dating service to verify single status of wannabe Romeos.

MSNBC/Lester Holt Live, July 14, 2004
"A Web Site Called True.Com Forces Participants To Undergo A Background Check Before Using Their Service"

This news clip from MSNBC highlights True's efforts to perform criminal background checks for any new users. 

By Bob Sullivan
Technology Correspondent
MSNBC
7/15/04

Criminal background checks aren't just for Little League coaches and church volunteers any more.  Now they are another way to vet prospective online dates.

Wall Street Journal online
SCARY STUFF: Can True.com be for real?
7/12/04

Time Magazine - July 5, 2004
Dating Websites: It's a Jungle Out There
By SONJA STEPTOE

Dallas Business Journal - June 25, 2004
Make me a match - Growth equals expansion for online dating firms
Christine Perez and Jeff Bounds, Senior Writers

CNBC / Special Report - June 21, 2004
True Takes Out Ad in Wall Street Journal

Let me ask you a little bit about the controversy over your match.com holding.  Last week, the CEO of one of your small competitors, True Beginnings, took out a full page ad in the Journal, basically asking what is Barry Diller afraid of because you are suing former employers.

The Washington Times - Dallas, TX, June 11
Rival online dating sites making war

There's no love lost between two Texas online dating Web sites caught up in a dispute over four employees who left one for the other.

Match.com, the Dallas giant of online dating, wants depositions from its four ex-employees who now work for a smaller rival, TrueBeginnings of Irving.  A district court filing alleged the employees may have disclosed trade secrets or broken contracts, the Dallas Morning News said.

Herb Vest, chief executive and founder of TrueBeginnings, denied there was anything underhanded going on and accused Barry Diller, the business titan who’s InterActiveCorp owns Match, of trying to intimidate his crew

USA Today - April 20, 2004
Truth in advertising hits Internet dating

"We're trying to clean up this industry," says Herb Vest, founder of Dallas-based TRUE^TM., a 6-month-old site that boasts a partnership with a criminal-record database firm called Rapsheets .com, which stockpiles 150 million records compiled from more than 110 state and county agencies.

"I don't want to introduce someone to a felon," Vest says.

So his company insists that members agree to a code of ethics and fill out a detailed personality profile.  Then names are checked for felony offenses from the past decade, which include everything from driving under the influence to murder.

So far, 38,000 have been approved and 3,000 turned away because of Rapsheets' findings.

Newsweek - April 14, 2004
Safer Surfing for Love

If you've surfed the Net for love, you know that losers are easy to come by.  But along with the harmless fibbers and philanderers can come dangerous creeps and felons.  How do you separate the Romeos from the Pinocchios? Many of the larger dating sites are acknowledging the problem.  Match.com drops 2,000 of its 12 million members a month, mostly from reports of "unwelcomed and inappropriate" communication, says the site's president, Tim Sullivan.  But as online dating gets more competitive, a number of upstart sites are trying to woo would-be daters by claiming they can weed out losers.  In most cases, the sites use voluntary background checks: customers submit to a database search with the understanding that other members will do the same.  TRUE.com , which launched in November, makes subscribers agree to a check at registration.  After screening members' names against criminal records from county and state registries, the site has dumped about 10 percent of its 300,000 members.

ABC News.com - March 26, 2004
Dr.  Love is in: Singles Join Dating Sites that Match by Psychological Compatibility

Welcome to the next generation of Internet dating, where it's not enough to share a hobby or both enjoy fine dining.  These days, singles are taking psychological tests before making contact with the hope that the insights will increase the likelihood of finding long-lasting love.

TRUE, which launched in November, offers a "True Compatibility Test" - endorsed by Psychology Today magazine - that measures 99 psychological, behavior and interest factors.

"Everything we do, from the text that we post to the advice that we give, is all scientifically based," said James Houran, director of psychological studies at the Dallas-based site.

San Jose Mercury News - March 12, 2004
Questionnaires Help Clients Dig Deeper to Weed out People Missing the Makings of a Perfect Match

When it comes to the online dating game -- as with anything in life -- the more you know, the better your odds for success.

Sure, you can advertise for someone tall, dark and handsome, who's a professional and a non-smoker, but how can you be sure he doesn't also have a law-breaking past?

Well, now you can.  The just-launched TRUE.com is trying to distinguish itself from other sites by offering a service that is part therapist, part protective big brother.  All new members are subjected to an extensive criminal background check after they submit their name and date of birth.

Fox News Channel - March 7, 2004
The dating scene no longer taking place in bars…

The dating scene no longer taking place in bars, it's 2004 and now you can pick up a date on the Internet.  But, it's not as easy as you may think … before you go on-line, you have to get in line and be checked out.

TRUE is taking the game to a whole new level of security … before anyone who uses the Web site can contact another member, that person is checked through rapsheets.com.  That is a criminal database that consists of over 160 million records.  If the person has a criminal record, that person is kicked off the Web site and is not allowed to contact any member.

The Herald Dispatch - February 14, 2004
Many Finding Love on the Net: Online Dating Not as Daunting as it Once Was, Steps into the Mainstream

At this point, there's no solid research about the track record of Internet born relationships, said Jim Houran, director of Psychological Studies for TRUE.com, a matchmaking Web site based in Dallas.  Not all of them turn out well, but neither do off-line relationships, he said.

While Internet dating is becoming more common, the focus is shifting, Houran said.  His site uses compatibility testing based on standards of the American Psychological Association to help users find suitable potential mates.

"The focus is not so much on dating, but the focus should be on compatibility, a topic that was never really discussed before," Houran said.  "Before they were personal ads, that people could view and exchange.  We're trying to move away to be more clinically relevant.  We want what we do to have backbone to it."

CNNfn - February 13, 2004
Soul Mate Search Engine: Try a Compatibility Test

Love and marriage may be the hot topic around water coolers these days, tomorrow, after all, is Valentine's Day.  But love and money, at least in the online world, seems to be the winning combination.  Online dating accounts for almost a quarter of paid Internet content and the gross profit margins for the industry is at 60 percent or more.  Joining us now to talk about that is the founder and CEO of TRUE, Herb Vest.

Internet sites are using comprehensive personality tests to produce more compatible relationship matches.  Some measure a hundred or more variables that relate to personality, attitude and behavior.  Complete the hour-long exam and think of it as an investment in your dating future.  Look for sites endorsed by psychology experts.

Some sites, like TRUE.com, can actually rate the likelihood of two personal profiles ever turning into a lasting relationship.  They can actually save people a lot of time and frustration.

“…We have a great company – TRUE.  What it does is help people find each other their compatible soul mate.  I started a research project about a year ago with a prominent psychologist … a multi-million dollar project that we undertook to find out what it was that made people happy in their compatible relationships.”