BOSTON -- How far should singles go to feel safe with a date? An Internet company's offer of background checks on prospective dates is drawing controversy.

NewsCenter 5's Lynn Jolicoeur reported that with the click of a computer mouse, personal information and background checks are available to daters online. But not everyone thinks background checks are a good idea.

"After having gone out on an initial date and interest is sparked, I Googled (him)," said Rosa Bruno, of Methuen.

"I think it's pretty creepy. I think I'd just leave it up to them. If they've been in jail, they should probably tell me," said Paul Logan, of Boston.

Sylvana Dole and her boyfriend of two years got to know each other the old-fashioned way -- through mutual connections with no cyber sleuthing.

"It's good to keep people safe. I wouldn't do it. I'd feel like I was snooping too much," said Dole.

But in a $5,000 advertisement in Monday's Boston Globe, an Internet background-check company, Washington-based Intelius, warned customers to "get the whole story before it's too late."

The company offers one background check for $50, and a second one for free.

"(It creates) very much a false sense of security," said Mary Lauby of Jane Doe Inc., a domestic violence and sexual assault activist group.

Lauby said while she likes the advertisement's underlying message of caution, she thinks it rises to scare tactics and could mislead.

"Most batterers, most domestic violence abusers, have never been arrested, never come to the attention of law enforcement," she said.

Meanwhile at dating service LunchDates, counselors screen clients in person and only give out first names. It does not perform background checks.

"If you take up with someone, do it slowly. Meet their friends, meet their relatives. It's a really nice thing to do," said Marty Sack of LunchDates.

The marketing director for Intelius said the service is one tool available to people who can't get information on babysitters, contractors and dates from friends and neighbors.

But because of Massachusetts laws, people can't get a state criminal background check on prospective dates through the Web site, just a check of the sex offender registry and property and family records.