Today's singles have a love-hate relationship with Internet dating services. Sizzling online romances have a way of icing over when "Mr. or Ms. Right" at the other end of the computer modem shows up to the first date as anything but.

Yet dating fraud, frustrating as it is to love-seekers, doesn't compare to the darker, more sinister problem of online predation. Internet-based matchmaker firms warn that violent predators occasionally abuse online services to prey upon the lovelorn, and some groups are now urging lawmakers to get involved. State legislatures in California, Florida, Michigan, Texas, and Ohio have bills pending that aim to protect online-dating from potential abuses.

While most matchmaker firms recognize that online predation is a problem, not all parties agree that government intervention is the right solution. Internet users themselves are reportedly split on the issue, and leading services like Match.com and Yahoo Personals oppose legislation. But whether or not government steps in to regulate online dating, matchmaker firms can help protect first-time daters by offering tips on how to safely transition an online courtship to a live date.