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In this article, two women are raped, stalked, and killed after wanting to meet up with men from online dating website.

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A woman in Ireland came forward on Tuesday to say that she had been abducted and raped by a man she had been matched with on Tinder. After a number of days of exchanging interested messages through the app, the two met at a café before the victim was "forced into the back of his car and subjected to a horrendous attack," reported the Mirror.

In cases of abduction and sexual abuse, fault can never be attributed to the victim: they didn't ask for it, they didn't have it coming, they didn't fail to escape, none of that. That is not what this article is about, as the criminal act took place separately from the Tinder interaction, and falls under its own category. The physical attack could have happened to anyone, anywhere, and is not directly a consequence of online dating.

Howvver, the recent incident in the UK does raise "" not for the first time "" questions about the general safety of online dating, the liability of the dating apps and sites, and the level of trust users put in their digital matchmakers. Society in the Internet age puts all too much blind faith in the World Wide Web, and this foolish belief is what gets a lot of users into a lot of trouble.
There are too many Tinder profiles featuring pictures of tigers for this to be a safe thing. Courtesy of the NY Daily News
Since 1995 when Match.com was founded as the first online dating service in the world, the trend has been on the exponential rise. Now, upwards of 40% of the American singles population is on one dating site or another. The inevitable truth is that online dating is not going anywhere anytime soon "" in fact, it's just in the midst of foreplay.

But this growing popularity comes with an equally expanding threat to users' safety.

The online dating forum offers anonymity, attracting sex-offenders, scammers, and predators to set up misleading profiles. In fact, statistics from a few years ago revealed that 10% of convicted offenders use online dating sites; and that more than "16,000 abductions, 100 murders, and thousands of sexual assaults" were committed by Internet predators.

In light of these harrowing figures, many states now have Internet Dating Safety Acts on the books that more strongly regulate dating sites. New York, for example, requires sites like Match.com and eHarmony to include safety tips for their users. New Jersey mandates that sites charging membership fees must perform background checks on their participants.

I can understand why states might compel dating sites to include these disclaimers on their pages. And I also believe that, ethically and commercially, it is in the best interest of OKCupid and others to inform their users of the potential dangers of meeting someone via online dating. A customer who has been abducted by someone they met on Tinder will probably never use that app ever again, and companies like to hold tightly to their clientele.

Who is responsible for your safety? Your dating website or you?

But when it comes down to it, how can a dating app or even a mutual friend really vouch for the sanity and trustworthiness of a third party? When was the last time you asked a complete stranger you were interested in to do a background check on them?

Critics say that it should be common practice for sites to identify and then weed out potential threats. I'm not saying these people have a right to be on the site, but I'm not so quick to require that companies make this a legal concern.

Lawsuits over the negligence of dating sites are ridiculous. One such case of a Las Vegas woman is particularly awful "" she found a guy on Match.com, broke things off, and was nearly beaten to death by him four months later. But her argument against the site is absurd: that Match never fully disclosed the dangers of online dating to her.

There are two things wrong with this condemnation:

The first is that even if Match.com filed a background check on this guy, they wouldn't have found anything "" he had no record. The second, and the much more pertinent, is that the dangers of online dating are the same as those of real life dating.

Every romantic encounter, first date, or five-year anniversary has the potential to go horribly wrong. Meeting someone at a bar might offer you more personal insight into their behavior and mental state, but not always. You've got to stay on your toes, especially when alcohol is in the mix, and especially when you're dealing with strangers.

So thinking "different laws apply" to online dating than those that do to conventional dating is a mistake made by the users, not the sites. The transition from the fantasy world of online flirtation to the realistic one of in-person dates is not always smooth. But if expectations are shattered, or surprising identities revealed, it is not the sites that are at fault.

Consider this another problem with the trend of social media:

People's profiles are not always accurate, complete, or honest. In truth, very often they're the opposite. When people learn that someone's profile has misled them, they react with anger. I get that. I'd be pissed off too.

But what about when they've been misled in person? What about when they're at a party and someone exaggerates their status to make themselves more attractive? Isn't that the same thing? Who's to blame in that regard? There's no dating site, so is it just your own gullibility? Or the injustice in the world?

Dating sites, contrary to a very widespread belief, are not in the business of guaranteeing the 'satisfactoriness' of their users. The most sophisticated, like eHarmony, "match" compatible users based on unverified personal and personality data that those users elect to submit. The least interactive, like Tinder, put the majority of the control into daters' hands.

But are the sites ultimately liable for your safety?

These sites should be seen more as communities where interested singles (and adulterers) can connect, and users must know they're not "ordering" a "product". OKCupid, for instance, explicitly states in their privacy policy that it "DOES NOT CONDUCT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS ON OR SCREENINGS OF ITS USERS." It shouldn't have to.

If online daters are so concerned over their safety, they should conduct background checks themselves. And if they can't afford the expensive investigation, they should tread lightly as they make the journey from the cozy, protected universe of the Internet to the still murky world of interpersonal romance.

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Here's the Bigger Issue With the Dangers of Online Dating

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A woman in Ireland came forward on Tuesday to say that she had been abducted and raped by a man she had been matched with on Tinder. After a number of days of exchanging interested messages through the app, the two met at a café before the victim was "forced into the back of his car and subjected to a horrendous attack," reported the Mirror.

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This article is about why people don't trust online dating websites, but still use them.

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This article talks about a

74-year-old woman that sent a man $210,000 after believing the man was stuck in Africa and needed money to get home.

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The world of online dating, experts say, has become the path to follow to find love in the 21st century.

"I've met some decent guys on there," one young woman in Northwest Washington told ABC7 News.

In fact, 15 percent of American adults say they have used an online dating site or app, but for many, it takes more than a click or two.

Melissa Hill told ABC7 News about an online date that didn't exactly go the way she would have liked.

"It was definitely an old guy and he kept saying, 'Hey babe... looking good, sexy.' Not my style," Hill said.

Heidi Kemp's online dating experience took a wild turn that led straight to the courthouse.

"The guy I met had dated my best friend three months before and turned out to be a stalker," Kemp said. "I had to get a restraining order."

ABC7's 7 On Your Side went to dating coach Erika Ettin for some advice.

"If I had the key to a good match, I wouldn't have to work anymore," she told ABC7 News.

Ettin insists you can find your perfect match or just a very good person to spend some time with online, but when things go bad in an online relationship there are some real red flags to look out for.

"People think this person fits all my credentials - education, religion, height, age, whatever it is, - but the reality is you don't know chemistry until you meet in person," Ettin said.

And you don't really know who you're dating either.

Just ask 74-year-old Andrea Fridley.

"I trusted someone, which was a mistake," Fridley said.

A few years ago she was a divorcee looking for, but not finding companionship until she saw a commercial for an online dating site for those over 50.

Fridley says she found a guy she thought was perfect.

His name was John Robertson - a tall, good looking Polish man who said he ran a mining company from his adopted home in Virginia Beach.

Fridley says Robertson was a perfect gentleman with a knack for putting together a phrase that could turn a lady's head.

In a few weeks, Fridley was head over heels in love and Robertson, she says, was asking for help.

Robertson had gone to Africa on a mining project and needed money to return to the U.S.. He also said he needed to get his equipment home.

All he needed was a small loan, he said, until he arrived back in Virginia.

Neither the love letters, the late night calls, nor the pleas for money stopped until Fridley's bank account ran dry.

In total, Fridley said she gave Robertson $210,000 - and by the way, this is a man she never met.

"A horrible mistake," she says, "It's like giving money to a ghost."

The relationship lasted about six months, and it happened a little over four years ago, but Fridley says she's looked hard, written and called .... but she has not been able to find the tall gentleman with the silver tongue named John Robertson.

Here's some online dating advice from professional coaches:

Be honest in filling out your online profile.

Don't over or undersell yourself.

Meet quickly so you can see for yourself who you are dealing with.

If a particular site isn't working for you, dump it and go to another site.

Fridley eventually did find love - at church - and got married to another man.

She hasn't been able to get back the $210,000 that took wings and flew over to Africa, however.

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7 On Your Side: Online dating dangers and the red flags to look out for

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The world of online dating, experts say, has become the path to follow to find love in the 21st century.I've met some decent guys on there," one young woman in Northwest Washington told ABC7 News. In fact, 15 percent of American adults say they have used a

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This article talks about a man pretending to be an astronaut, a doctor, and a spy to lure women in.

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An estimated 40 million Americans use online dating services hoping to meet "the one." There are more than 1,400 Web sites in the $700 million a year business, but some question their safety.

Prosecutors say a Philadelphia nursing student was conning women on match.com. He was convicted this week of assault, but the accusations don't end there. His victims, described as attractive, ambitious professionals say their lives will never be the same.

Prosecutors said Jeffrey Marsalis, 34, told some tall tales, pretending to be a doctor, an astronaut and even a spy to lure women on Internet dating sites.

"He faces up to 20 years in prison and he will have to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life," said prosecutor Joe Khan.

Marsalis was convicted of sexual assault. However, he was acquitted of more serious charges that he drugged and then raped seven women in his apartment.

"You read about it, you see it on TV but you just don't think it can happen to you," one anonymous victim said.

She said she knows about tricksters like Jeffrey Marsalis and how easy it is to be duped online. According to her, a man she met on a Christian dating Web site was seeing 60 other women from 25 different Web sites. He pretended to be everything from a country music manager to a Pentagon consultant. He even lied about having cancer, she said.

She claims he stole thousands of dollars from his victims.

"Mentally, it just about broke me to think that I had been so naive, when I don't consider myself to be a very naive person," she said. "And of course, I was worried about my safety."

She may have good reason to be. Dozens of Internet dating cases have ended in tragedy. And experts said it's only getting worse.

"Men especially are getting are getting bolder as far as using dating Web sites to find their next victim," said Jayne Hitchcock, who is working to halt online abuse.

Experts say potential daters should get to know the person as well as she can before the first meeting.

Meet in a public place and arrive separately.

Let the relationship grow slowly.

Most importantly, trust your instincts.

"Most of these women will tell you that they had a bad feeling about it but they went ahead with it because the person the man had a wonderful profile," Hitchcock said. "He was charming."

One victim said it was loneliness that clouded her judgment.

"Victims are victims because somebody is looking to exploit their weakness," she said. "And it doesn't matter if you're doctor. It doesn't matter if you're an accountant."

She said she wants women to trust their instincts because she didn't trust her own.

About 20 percent of daters admit they lie about themselves online, according to a survey research study by Jeana Frost of Boston University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

But there are a growing number of security tools.

True.com provides criminal and marital background checks, but it's the only site.

Match.com gives free temporary phone numbers to keep your real phone number a secret.

Intelius.com will conduct dating background checks for any dating Web site.

In the Marsalis case, Match.com did not return ABC News' e-mails or calls.

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An estimated 40 million Americans use online dating services hoping to meet "the one." There are more than 1,400 Web sites in the $700 million a year business, but some question their safety. Prosecutors say a Philadelphia nursing student was conning women on match.com. He was convicted this week...

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"Ash vs Evil Dead" follows Ash, stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who spent 30 years avoiding responsibility, and terrors of the Evil Dead.

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This article is about a 60-year-old widow who was tricked into sending a man $125,000 thinking he was in financial trouble.

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published a disturbing story about a 53-year-old California grandmother and widow who had gotten swept up in one of the oldest cons in the book: the sweetheart swindle.

The widow had joined an online dating site. In no time at all, she received a message from a man going by the name of John, who claimed to be a 60-year-old widowed engineer from Colorado.

The widow was very taken with John. He showered her with compliments, charmed her, and declared that she was "the one."

Months later, John said that he had to make a business trip to Africa. He was rocked by a series of emergencies soon after. To resolve these emergencies, John asked for financial help from the widow.

The widow finally insisted that John reveal himself on a webcam. Instead of finding a middle-aged Coloradan, the widow found a college-aged Ghanaian.

In spite of the unmasking of John's true identity, he continued to profess his love for the widow. She responded by reporting him to the local sheriff and the FBI.

The whole charade cost the widow $125,000. The authorities never recovered her money, and she was forced to take out loans to live.

The widow's story is a classic case of a romance scam. In the U.S. alone, romance scammers sweet-talked 5,900 victims out of more than $86.7 million in 2014. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, as romance scams are grossly underreported.

In an earlier blog post entitled " 7 Unromantic Facts About Online Dating," we looked at the growing phenomenon of online dating as a modern approach to dating and mating. Next, let's discuss the risky side of it.
"Catfishing"
A romance scam, often called "catfishing," is a special breed of fraud where the con artist fakes romantic interest in his or her mark (victim), wins his or her affection, and then abuses that amity to perpetrate a fraud. Increasingly, these scammers are hitting online dating sites, social networking sites, and chat rooms to troll for victims.

According to Dr. Phil McGraw, popular mental health expert and host of daytime talk show Dr. Phil, it's hard to tell whether you're getting hooked on a catfish. McGraw writes, "It's easy for some of the smartest people to lose all sight of common sense when they're being reeled in by a catfish: an online imposter who tries to win your sympathy -- and your love -- by creating an elaborate scheme."
Flirting With Disaster
If you've ever been targeted by a romance scammer, you probably know how this scam works. It begins when the scammer contacts you online and expresses an interest in you, often commenting on your profile picture or some other personal information that you've uploaded on a dating or social media site. The scammer will exhibit strong emotions, often instantaneously, and attempt to beguile you.

"The whole process of becoming attached through texts and emails is fascinating. While it harkens back to the days of romantic letter writing and courtship from afar, it's amazing how completely sucked in and duped we can get even while being suspicious and cautious. The power of our projections of romantic fantasies is so seductive, and the resultant raging hormones fueling our hopes and dreams can leave us with limited capacity to see reality, thereby potentially endangering our lives," remarks distinguished psychotherapist and professional speaker Marta Fuchs, MLS, MFT.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
Red flags that your so-called "match" could be a romance scammer include the following:

Taking It Offline. Your match presses you to leave the dating site and persuades you to communicate via personal email or instant messaging. Why? Because scammers know that online dating sites are able to surveil members and oust those who display questionable behavior or attempt to commit a scam. So the scammer must steer you offsite swiftly. Not getting caught is important to the scammer, as he or she will want to "troll" the site again for fresh victims when he or she is done with you.

Living the Life of Riley. Your match gives every appearance of living high on the hog--profile pictures of mansions, luxury cars, exotic destinations, and so on, yet persuades you to loan him or her money. By stealing the identity of a wealthy person, the scammer masquerades as a man or woman of means.

Doing Linguistic Gymnastics. Poor grammar, wonky sentence structure, or odd word choices could spell a foreign scammer. This is especially true when your match claims to be well-educated and tries to pass him- or herself off as a native speaker.

Hiding Behind Borders. Your match finds every excuse not to meet face to face. There's a good reason this. Many scammers run their operations out of a foreign country, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Russia, or the Philippines, even though their profiles may indicate that they're geographically nearby. A common ruse is for the scammer to claim to be from the U.S. but is currently unavailable because he or she is temporarily outside of the country.

Faking Sudden Emergencies. Your match is faced with a sudden emergency, often occurring overseas, requiring your financial assistance to pay for things like travel, visas, hospital bills, a financial misfortune, and so on. The first request for money is seldom the last.

If you think that you've fallen prey to a romance scam, report it to the online dating site or the website where the scammer found you. Contact your local police department to assist you in making a paper trail. File a complaint with an appropriate agency, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the Federal Trade Commission, or your state's Attorney General's Office.

A romance scam is not a victimless crime. A victim can suffer financial losses and mental anguish, as well as grow distrustful or suspicious of others. What's more, the victim often won't be able to take comfort in the knowledge that the perpetrator will be brought to justice.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:

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published a disturbing story about a 53-year-old California grandmother and widow who had gotten swept up in one of the oldest cons in the book: the sweetheart swindle. The widow had joined an online dating site. In no time at all, she received a message from a man going by the name of John, who claimed to be a 60-year-old widowed engineer from Colorado.

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