Big fat liars are probably the biggest complaint of singles who surf. Instead of fessing up about whatever it is we don’t like about ourselves (our age, our weight, the fact that we’re not so happily married), we simply fail to mention it in order to create a more pleasing virtual self. What happened to Andrew, a 46-year-old single from Chicago, is fairly typical.

Stretching the Truth
"My entry into the Internet relationship world was marked by a sweet email (and picture) from an attractive, willowy, dark-eyed beauty—with strangely thin feet. We started 'chatting' over the Net every day, and after a few weeks I decided to make the three-hour journey to meet my new sweetie for lunch, totally unprepared for the hulking, tattooed behemoth that awaited me. This woman outweighed me by one hundred pounds, was taller than me (I’m 5'11"), and had a deep voice made gravelly by years of smoking and (she confessed) alcohol abuse. After hurrying home (fleeing might be a better word), I studied her picture and realized she had stretched it vertically to make herself appear tall and thin . . . which finally explained those skinny feet!"

• Had an encounter with an online liar? What did you do? Comment here!

• Do you "stretch the truth" in your profiles? Why? How far? Post a comment.

Lying is a huge concern for almost everyone who goes online, although our fears over what people lie about usually depend on who we are. According to Judy McGuire, who writes the syndicated column “Dategirl,” it’s simple. “Women worry that the guys they meet on the Internet are going to be serial killers. Men only worry that the women are going to be fat.”

The best policy? Stick with the awful truth.

“Tricking people isn’t going to help you get a date,” says Jeff, a single from Florida. “Just be who you are. Everyone stands a much better chance if they just present themselves as is.”