HERRIN - There is no foolproof system when it comes to dates arranged through the Internet.

But two Herrin businessmen have taken steps to reduce the risks, particuarly those felt by women, and is hoping to parlay that stroke of genius into a million-dollar business.

Jeremy Maloney and Brian Chapman are co-owners of My Background Instantly, a business designed specifically for pre-employment background checks for businesses.

And although that business is flourishing, the men came up with even a better idea. Why not tie in criminal background checks with dating services? After making some phone calls, it was evident that the idea was a good one and a new Web site was born - "trustadate.com."

"We believe trustadate.com will be a new avenue to service consumers as there are more than 40 million people involved in online dating," Maloney said. "And as you might expect, one of the main concerns with online dating is safety. That's where we come in."

Before launching the new Web site and service this week, Maloney said he and Chapman spent the last few months buying criminal histories from law enforcement agencies and circuit clerk offices nationwide in an attempt to develop a comprehensive data base to run background checks.

It was a costly venture, but a necessary one.

"We've retrieved data from 47 different states," said Chapman, a former police officer in Williamson County and Carbondale. "What we track mostly are felonies such as violent crimes and sex offenses. There won't be as much information on misdemeanors."

Chapman said consumers who use various dating services can then choose to subscribe to trustadate.com for a three-month fee of $14.95, a cost-efficient service, he said, to provide some peace of mind. A new criminal background check is performed automatically after three months if the service fee is renewed, especially since criminal histories can change rapidly.

"We pretty much just need a name and birth date and we are able to run a criminal history," Chapman said. "The user can then share or exchange that information with a potential date. Nothing is 100 percent accurate, but it removes some fears, particularly for women. And it's females who we're targeting with this Web site."

To date, Maloney said he and Chapman have landed four partnerships with dating service giants like eharmony.com, match.com, date.com and perfectmatch.com.

"Some of these dating sites have more than 10 million customers in their data base," Maloney said. "And with 40 million-plus, overall, just imagine if 1 percent of that population used our service."

Chapman and Maloney already employ 10 customer service representatives. Chapman said that number could double in the months to come.

"I'm expecting an overwhelming success," he said. "Based on surveys, the industry is hungry for this kind of service and we're in on the ground floor. I've heard nothing but positive feedback so far."

Maloney concurred.

"The idea is not to scare anybody, but simply to make online dating safer than it is today."

john.homan@thesouthern.com 618-997-3356 x15807