[PastTense]

Quote:

Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission disclosed that it reached a settlement with JDI Dating Ltd., a UK company that runs 18 dating sites that it claims have over 12 million members. The sites include CupidsWand.com, FlirtCrowd.com, and FindMeLove.com. JDI will have to pay $616,165 in redress, and it must stop business practices that were said to violate both the FTC Act and a newer law that regulates recurring billing online.

JDI's dating sites would make fake profiles, which the company called "virtual cupids," and have them send computer-generated messages to new users who had created profiles but hadn't yet paid. On JDI's websites, users received an e-mail notifying them that another user sent them a "wink" within minutes of joining. Then they got additional winks, messages, and photo requests, supposedly from other members in their geographic area.

Those messages came from the bogus "virtual cupid" profiles that JDI had on FlirtCrowd and other sites.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/...al-cupids/

Do any other sites come to mind which do this?

[Cattle Rustler]

Pretty much every dating site, starting with match .Com

I'm happy this is happening

[Badamson]

Zoosk and Adultfriendfinder are the worst offenders. I know okcupid doesn't do this, because when I get a random message on there, it's usually from something that looks like a goblin...so it must be real.

[Saweeep]

It's about time.

This shit has been going on for time immemorial.

[Sp5]

Yep, basic fraud and misrepresentation.

Something to think about for those who complain about government regulation.

[bacan]

Makes me angry that sites toy with guys hopes and emotions like this just to make a few extra bucks.. Blatant lying.. No way to spin this..

I wonder what type of person came up with this and actually coded it into existence..

[Foolsgo1d]

Its a smart move aimed at gullible people who don't know the traps or stupid people who keep falling for it.

I got onto a site for adults to meet for sex and I knew a lot of them were bots. Some were genuine and I got what I wanted. But anything behind a paywall is not going to be in your favour.

The whole online thing makes people slightly more gullible than they would be in real life.