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Legal Advice For Those Dating Websites

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Dating website registration surged on January 2, with sites like Match.com showing a 55% increase in new registrations.

Relationship experts attribute this to New Year's resolutions by many to find love this year, along with a portion of the population who didn't end relationships they knew were over because they didn't want to be alone over the holidays. And, no doubt, anticipation of the most dreaded day of the year that is fast approaching: Valentine's Day.

Whatever your reasons for finding love online, you need to know a bit of legal advice. A class action lawsuit was filed in 2010 against the obviously still popular Match.com, alleging that of the alleged millions of subscribers, over half were inactive, fake, or scammers.

Match.com recently WON the lawsuit.

But understand it wasn't because they proved their subscribers were 100% real or truthful (or handsome for that matter) but because they tell subscribers in their terms of service (you know, the button you hit that says "I agree" without reading what you're agreeing to) that they in no way "police, vet, or update the website content.

In other words, here's a list people who may or may not be who they say they are and may or may not even be on the market. Good luck to you.

So, as your lawyer and your BFF would tell you, use good judgment so as not to get your heart broken.

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