Finding love online is no easy feat. You could even fall victim to a sophisticated scam, with the perpetrators being none other than two of the world’s leading online dating services.
From disappointment to outrage, many victims have filed lawsuits directly against these services. Match.com has been accused of enticing members to extend their subscriptions by having… company employees fabricate romantic emails and create “fake profiles” to send to customers. In many cases, Match employees reportedly even pretended to go on dates with members as a marketing tactic.
“This is truly a blatant scam by Match.com,” stated the attorney representing the plaintiffs. Match.com did not comment on the lawsuit but firmly denied hiring individuals to go on dates or sending flirty emails to customers. Currently, Match.com boasts around 15 million members worldwide and approximately 250 employees.
At the same time, tech giant Yahoo has been accused of posting fake profiles on its website to create the illusion that many singles are using its services for dating and friendship. Yahoo has also not commented on the lawsuit.
Both lawsuits come at a time when the online dating industry is showing signs of stagnation, although it remains a massive money-making machine. In the U.S. alone, during the first half of 2005, people spent a staggering $245.2 million on online dating and matchmaking services, an increase of 7.6% compared to 2004. Of course, this growth rate has significantly declined compared to a few years ago. Competition among service providers is fierce: some sites have introduced new features like “compatibility surveys” to match individuals with similar personalities and life views.
The lawsuit against Match.com was filed in Los Angeles court earlier this month by Matthew Evans, a 30-something intellectual who had used the company’s services. Evans reported that he had been dating someone through Match.com, who turned out to be a “dating expert” working for Match.com. Clearly, this relationship went nowhere. According to Evans, Match went to great lengths to set up a date for him because they wanted him to continue paying for the service, as well as to promote the “attractive girl” he had just met through Match.com to others.
Evans only realized he had been deceived when the woman, who had a conscience, confessed to him that she was being paid by Match.com to go on the date.
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