by Jason Hahn
|
Earlier this month, on November 10th, a racketeering lawsuit was filed against Match.com, a popular online dating service. Match.com, a division of IAC/Interactive, is being accused of trying to lure customers into renewing their subscriptions through the use of fake romantic e-mails sent by their employees.
The lawsuit even declares that employees on Match’s payroll actually went on dates with subscribers in order to lure them into renewing their subscriptions and spreading good buzz to their friends who might potentially join the dating network. Match is accused of setting up these bogus dates up to 100 times a month, or three times per day.
H. Scott Leviant, a lawyer at the Los Angeles-based law firm Arias, Ozzello & Gignac, which brought the lawsuit against Match, stated, “This is a grossly fraudulent practice that Match.com is engaged in,” and that Match “promotes the policies of integrity to protect members, and yet they themselves, we allege, are misleading their entire customer base.”
The lawsuit also asserts that “Hiding behind Match.com's portrait of online success is a very big, very dirty secret. Not everyone you meet and date through Match.com is just another Match.com member.”
Though the company said it does not officially comment on pending litigation, spokeswoman Kristin Kelly said Match.com “absolutely does not” employ people to go on misleading dates with subscribers or send members bogus romantic e-mails, and went on to call the lawsuit “completely without merit.” Kelly said that the suit would be fought “vigorously.”
To support her claims, Kelly went on to say that a survey showed that 12% of last year’s marriages resulted from people meeting their mate online, and that membership increased 19% over last year, showing that the company had no need to conjure up deceiving shams in order to help their business.
The lawsuit was filed by Match.com customer Matthew Evans of Orange County, California, who is looking to push the suit to become a class action on behalf of Match’s 15 million members and their 1 million subscribers. According to his lawyers, the Match employee eventually confessed to Evans that she was an employee of the company after a number of dates.
Match employees are accused of reading customers’ e-mails to each other. The lawsuit states that “The paid Match.com employee then goes on a date with the subscriber, gives the deceptive appearance of having a lot in common with the subscriber [due in part to having read his or her E-mails] with the intent of luring the subscriber into re-signing with Match.com.”
In another lawsuit, Yahoo!’s personals service has been accused of posting fake profiles of fabricated potential partners on its site in order to falsely inflate the number of single people who actually subscribe to the online dating service. This suit was filed last month by Robert Anthony of Broward County, Florida, who is also seeking class-action status.
In the first half of 2005, American consumers spent $245.2 million on online personals and dating services, which is a 7.6% increase from the previous year, according to the Online Publishers Association.
Sources:
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/
story/367167p-312443c.html
http://news.com.com/Suit+claims+
Match.com+set+up+fake+dates/2100-
1038_3-5960986.html
Jason Hahn
e: jhahn221@gmail.com
|
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Here's some new WATCH OUT FOR profiles: There seems
to be a group from South Africa and Ethiopia that
just are tooooo good to be true. They are profiles
with generally one picture of a very goog looking
lady.
Before the blog got lost I told you that I would'nt
touch "tender_hearflame" with a ten foot fork well
this little lovely from Shelly,Idaho must have a twin in Nashville because now another profile lists
her as "kelly_calove".
The further I look into MATCH.COM, the worse it gets. 12:30pm
Posted by: Rick E
Date: April 20, 2006
URL:
9554
Some people should use Spell Checker. I could'nt
even spell "good". Anyway, as a reminder, the other
gal I would'nt touch with the old fork is from
Rocker,Montana, "lapusik2007". 12:37pm
Posted by: Rick E
Date: April 20, 2006
URL:
9556
Oh yeah, by the way, I almost forgot. I thought everybody knew this already: Dr Phil has always been a piece of crap. At least in recent years. Didn't Bill O'Reilly already make that clear? How easily we forget. Oh well.
Posted by: Brian
Date: April 21, 2006
URL:
10183
Maybe there are a few doubters regarding my idea of
a Russian invasion on Match.com. Check out the following profiles: "mynameElya". "luvinghrt509" from Pratt City,Alabama and "renkins" from Fort
Lauderdale,FL., are the same person. Now here's a
group all 27 years old from Tulsa: "halyawa",
"romashka412", and "petrushca". Another SAME PERSON
is "vikoli63" and "yaree". Finally here's 4 more
RUSKIES: "alenafromr", "mazanka458", "annasta783",
and "trantatulinka". Now do you really believe that
all of these ladies(?) and their twins live in the
good old U.S. of A. The only thing these ladies
want is money so hang on to your pocket change
(house,car,jewlery, etc.). 2:51AM
Posted by: Rick E
Date: April 21, 2006
URL:
10207
More LOOKOUT BAD BABE profiles:Here's another twin
"kndaisy" age 23 Omaha,Neb., and "just4real" age 42
Elkton,MD., have the same photo. More suspected
RUSKIES: "mina871", "tari797", "tati1212",
"dapperbiehues", "terpila", "plintus", "womsekmen28", and "zhagazhaga". 11"30pm
Posted by: Rick E
Date: April 22, 2006
URL:
10758
Here is a lady that thinks she's a movie star:
"melkraft". She shows 2 pictures of what seem to be
a down home girl. The problem is that they are
pictures of the movie star Elisabeth Shue. The 1st
picture can be found at "celebritypicturesarchives.com" or "celebrities.pl".
This gal said she'd do anything in or out of bed and
I guess she's right. 1:57am
Posted by: Rick E
Date: April 22, 2006
URL:
10794
The more I dig into match the more pooh I am finding. I have also found A 'woman' who is using a picture of a semi well known model. Both pics are out of a mag from the seventies! This hottie is even responding to my e-mails. Cant wait till its time for a face to face. Also, a Russian girl living in 5 cities w/ slight name variations. When I hit:see more like her all four of her show up. Its is becoming clear match doesnt care about their sites reputation & the effect it is having on its customers any more. Which will eventually end its run! To bad mad $ riuned a great idea again. Colocartman
Posted by: colocartman
Date: April 22, 2006
URL:
11071
Checkout 'Moschonka' on match then hit 'more like her' on your dail. 3 more names in 3 different locations same picture. You can't tell me match is watching over site content. It's a sham shame.
Posted by: colocartman
Date: April 23, 2006
URL:
11119
VERDICT,
Well guys here's a view of match.com: When you
go on match.com it's like going hunting with the
Vice-President. There are weapons (women) involved
and business. With that combo you a more than likely
to get shot in the wallet. Last night I spent 2 hours on a general search for ladies 20 to 48 and came up with 34 pages of PICK ME PICK ME! There were
a lot of MODEL shots and most of them were fakes.
In the first 11 pages I came up with over 25 fakes.
for example look at "madison8892" and "madisonlover" (same gal). If you want a laugh
look at "pinksky1085" this gal says she's a surgeon (sorry lady but keep your blade away from me). The percentage ratio of fakes is way to high
and it's the old BUYER BEWARE warning. I'll keep
checking the site but listing all the fakes would
take too much time. So, DON'T TRUST ANYONE ON THE
SITE!!!!! Verify and verify again if you are
thinking with the wrong head. 1:50am
Posted by: Rick E
Date: April 23, 2006
URL:
11148
magnificent558 contacted me and I was immediately suspicious and her profile is word for word that of Santiago4469 with different pictures.
Posted by: Jeff
Date: April 23, 2006
URL:
11412
I have to agree as w/ anything let the buyer beware. There is obviously alot of shills and shanigins on all the sites. I have meet and dated alot of women that I have met on match. But my beef is it seems they dont care about their reputation or the quality of their product. By not doing so they are complicit or are abbetting their clients getting scammed. I am greatful to this site for helping me learn the jungle but their are many people getting hurt on different levels who could be spared w/ just a little effort by the service provider. Thanks again for this site!
Posted by: colocartman
Date: April 24, 2006
URL:
11806
i have found two of these tasty date girls and find them hard to be real, they both have the same exact profile different location, also i have had two more from another date site and contacted that site admin with no responce.
Posted by: Ed
Date: April 25, 2006
URL:
12568
Hi guys, I've been saving the clones to my favorites. Here they are: Santiago4469, magnificent558, thisgirlzcool, TantalizingJenny, Campiello, Cosmo523, delightfullips, MagnoliaSugar431, and VintageDarling are all one and the same person.
Screw Match. I decided to have fun. Hide your profile and go look at mine: barrister86 you will get a good laugh.
Posted by: Les
Date: April 25, 2006
URL:
12631
match has gotten me laid but it will never find me a true match
Posted by: fred
Date: April 25, 2006
URL:
12683
Fellow Knights,
This is a fight I'm starting to get into with
a WHIESHARK'S mentality. I want some chunks of leg
and breasts from these fakes(tastydates humor).
The one that's been getting under my skin is the
gal(?) that has used the following names:"campiello", "tantilizingjenny","arresting934","magnificent558"
(still in use), and now is using "aspiring55". I have sent her(?) emails telling her that she is
probably butt ugly sitting in a cubicle trying to
extract money from our wallets. I would like all
of you to send her an email in CAPS with the
following: "WE'RE WATCHING U!". I want to give
this wench something to think about. After I called up her current name "aspiring55", I clicked
"see more like her" and came up with fifty pages
of ladies. There were a few fakes there:"evol042",
"sladkaya50", "kaykaybee", "davaxa", "prettyshady001", "rosewel", "prettymercy001" and
on and on and on. I hope that when the law suit
goes forward that I'm in the front row with one
monster GRIN on my face. 8:15pm
PS In the "TO" field of the email to "aspiring55"
just type "MAGGOT".
Posted by: Rick E
Date: April 26, 2006
URL:
13553
Another post about aspiring55...aka Martiniblu. Interested to know where you guys are from and how widespread the scam goes. Received an email from match with martiniblu's profile in it, sent her a wink, she returned a wink and then her profile mysteriously went "hidden". Nothing lost on my part, just adding to the heap!!
Lets form the Posse!!
Posted by: Bill
Date: April 27, 2006
URL:
13903
aspiring55 is also speciallyfun55 from boston.
Posted by: Bill
Date: April 27, 2006
URL:
13909
I too just got a "match" to SpeciallyFun55 from Boston. Have seen her exact profile, with a different image, many times before. The service is being manipulated, the only question is who is culpable.
Posted by: Jay
Date: April 27, 2006
URL:
14050
Jay,
MATCH.COM is the owner (or captain of the ship)
so it's up to them to police and run a site to
the best of their ability. So far MATCH.COM is not
even trying to edit out the frauds. I tried to edit
my profile with a sentence telling ladies not to be
from "tastydates.com" or "racydates.com" and MATCH.COM would not allow the change. This outfit
is there to make MONEY not to keep us dirty old men
happy. Add up all the fakes and frauds and the
"winks" we receive just prior to renewal and it
all points in one direction>>>>MATCH.COM. Let's
also remember that we are being watched so let's
keep this clean. Well, I'm off to send "aspiring55" another "MAGGOT" Email. 9:07pm
Posted by: Rick E
Date: April 27, 2006
URL:
14203
PS. I have just received winks from more fakes using old pictures of Bridget Nelson and one using I picture from a tampax ad. LOL it just keeps getting better and better! Again I think we need to put pressure on old Dr. Phil. I think that his pr machine once confronted w/ all these scams would force a change or risk exposure. That what is really needed here is major national exposure of what match is up to. I was unaware myself until a 'TastyFake' lead me here.
Colocartman
Posted by: colocartman
Date: April 28, 2006
URL:
15100
Louis Pacella, Esq.
Arias, Ozzello & Gignac, LLP
Attorneys & Counselors at Law
Howard Hughes Center
6701 Center Drive West, Suite 1400
Los Angeles, California 90045
Telephone: (310) 670-1600
Facsimile: (310) 670-1231
lpacella@aogllp.com
www.aogllp.com
I like the maggot idea. I want what I paid for, not a bunch of fake cucking funts. I have another too. Lets just set up a blog on myspace. Anybody game?
Posted by: Les
Date: April 29, 2006
URL:
16021
"PROFILES" to correct the spelling above, I'm too
DAMN mad to spell check. 2:29pm
Posted by: Rick E
Date: May 02, 2006
URL:
17959
Another one to add from tastydates : LivingFine391. I've gotten tired of trying to keep track of all the bogus profiles.
I canceled my acct there at match and am going to wait see what happens with the lawsuits.
Posted by: Greg
Date: May 02, 2006
URL:
18078
GREG:"livingFine391" looks like our old "aspiring55" and she's just squinting her eyes.
ALL: can you believe that after I sent "sladkaya50"
and "pantech974" a MAGGOT,WE'RE WATCHING YOU! Email
that she just Emailed me back with:JUST LOOKED
YOUR PROFILE AND IF YOU LEAVE EMAIL I WILL TELL
YOU STORY OF LIFE in both Emails. I'll go out on
a limb and state that I think that the ladies are
not the brains of this outfit. 8:05pm
Posted by: Rick E
Date: May 02, 2006
URL:
18203
Because this is an online OPEN forum, anything
keyed or entered here is searched by the NET and
is displayed if a match is found in the universe
of the WWW. Key your name here and then Google it
and you will find it in a search. Like I said much
earlier, we are being "watched" and that is what I
was refering to(this is my feeble explaination).
11:58am
Posted by: Rick E
Date: May 03, 2006
URL:
18861
For what it's worth, last night
I complained about a tastydates spammer
and the profile was swiftly removed.
Then I requested that match remove all
profiles which contain reference to tastydates,
as they are obviously all quite fake copies.
I doubt that match care much, but they might
comply; it only took a few seconds to ask.
Other similar problems will certainly crop up.
Like spam, it's hard to put a stop to it all.
Posted by: anonymous
Date: May 03, 2006
19303
I too got the email treatment form MATCH....but I did one thing a bit further.....I notified them that I thought I was being scammed.....guess what?.....they blocked my account....I notified the Attorney Generals Office and I hope all of you will do the same in your state...
It is a shame tho.....I really did meet some very nice ladies on MATCH.....Now I must wonder if any were real....
Posted by: Zeke
Date: May 04, 2006
19806
I tell you.....it is BS....
Posted by: Zeke
Date: May 04, 2006
19941
Zeke, Robert H. at Match.com sounds a lot like
Bagdahd Bob. "We clean the whole airport of Americans". Sure it's BS, Match is facing a lawsuit
and the loss of money so they are covering their
rumps. This is one sick outfit and I believe that
they are also being scammed by outsiders but it's
their show and they should have shut down the bad
profiles. I'm off to Match.com to find more frauds.
11:59pm
Posted by: Rick E
Date: May 05, 2006
URL:
20165
ZEKE: To make your day, go to the bottom of Match.com's home page and click "OUR CREDO". If
you are'nt ticked off enough their CREDO will
make you boil. Then for the fun of it click
"BECOME AN AFFILIATE". Things will get real absurd
when you're done reading that. ALL: here's a few
more scumbags: "rosyone101","Julliancute101",
"jane2007sweets","flora026","teexy09","blinkingqueen"
,"lovelysycute","blinkingqueen1006". I could go on
but for some reason Match.com drops some of my favorites list and will allow only 100 favorites
so now I down to the old pencil and paper routine.
On second thought, I'll just SCREENCAPTURE the
the favorite pages, delete the old and start over.
(Sorry guys you caught me thinking). 7:24am
Posted by: Rick E
Date: May 06, 2006
URL:
21287
WTG Rick E. Guess what!!! My story matches yours. I sent the MAGGOTS an email and heard from pantech974 today. jannetcole170 is also luveytydumplings. I have got a fantastic idea on some revenge against Match. I'll post it in another message.
Posted by: Les
Date: May 08, 2006
URL:
23342
MySpace.com offers free web space and a free profile. hehe. I have an account there. So what say all of you that we all get free accounts on MySpace and then advertise them in our Match accounts? If tastydates is cool, so too should MySpace be cool. If they try to stop us, we sue their sorry asses for denying us equal treatment and service in a place of public accommodation. How about that $hit. That will work.
Posted by: Les
Date: May 08, 2006
URL: HOW TO GET REVENGE
23345
another tastydates scam. audigirl55. Match.com is nothing but a scam
Posted by: greg s
Date: May 08, 2006
URL:
23350
I contacted the lawyers who are litigating against Match today. I provided them with my user name and password. Saved into my favorites are all the fake names and clones I have accumulated over the past several months. Audigirl55 is no other than CuteandFun55 and CandidKate. The wheels of justice grind slowly people, but they grind to a fine powder. You others might want to consider doing what I've done. If Match won't listen, there is a way to compel them to listen. When the fraud squad hits their door with a federal subpoena maybe they'll get it.
Posted by: Les
Date: May 09, 2006
URL:
23735
Another Racy Dates is Sara4Sure.
Posted by: Al
Date: May 09, 2006
23785
AL, "sara4sure" is the same picture used for
tastydates by "pammy55hearts". Damn their all over the place. Their being hatched like MAGGOTS.
LES, GREAT MOVE!!! I'd love to be there when all
the people involved get their marching papers and
new bracelets...Whatcha gonna do when they come for
you.....Maybe COPS could film it!! I'd even caulk
the GREAT WALL of CHINA as payment to see it!!!
Do you need my "fakes" to compare with yours? I also
saved the pics. Here's hoping that the frauds all
wake up with IED'S in their shorts!!!! 12:35PM
Posted by: Rick E
Date: May 09, 2006
URL:
23806
ready2meetpam on match.com states in her profile to check her out on racy dates.
Posted by: Bill
Date: May 10, 2006
24883
Rick, I want you to go to my barrister86 profile on Match. Send me an email. I will answer you back from Outlook. That will give you my real email addie. Once I have that we will discuss this in more detail. Les
Posted by: Les
Date: May 12, 2006
URL:
26780
LES,
All info received.
Rick E.
Posted by: Rick E
Date: May 13, 2006
URL:
27174
My email... looking42z@yahoo.com
Posted by: Zeke
Date: May 18, 2006
URL:
44350
ZEKE, I forgot to add to the list of celebrities
"queen096" she's FAMKE JANNSEN my favorite in
X-MEN. RICK E. 8:30PM
Posted by: RICK E
Date: May 20, 2006
49374
These two sent me the exact same e-mail on the same day. No Pics, and she says she lives in San Diego; I live in NY.
iyatozhevyxlop (iyatozhevyxlop@talkmatch.com)
olapiskaya (olapiskaya@talkmatch.com)
"Hi my new friend!!!
My friend I saw many structures, but I chose and wrote only to you!
You have most of all liked me! In you there is that very much attracts me To you!
My best girlfriend has found to itself through Internet-good people Which
has invited her in the country.
And now I think that too I can find the love here!
I think that at us much can turn out if we learn each other more close!
Now it - is a little about me:
My name - Darya.
I very good and kind girl which want a lot of heat with the person and
I very much want as a lot of heat with it in family this main thing for me!!!
I very much like to help people and consequently I have chosen!
I am long brave to write to you and have written in hope which you
will write also to me
I hope for it, and I with impatience shall wait to receive news from you.
P.S. If I though interested you a little, please write to me the answer
On mine E-mail: bisdarusha@rambler.ru
I shall send The image in the following letter.
With hope your new familiar Darya"
Posted by: Steve
Date: September 19, 2006
URL:
180140
I've met several people in person off of match.com and have made some friends. However
whenever I would let my account expire, I would
receive winks or emails from fake members. I would join and respond to them and never hear from them again. Same thing is true with yahoo personals. I've also had some problems with getting the billing on my credit card to stop.
Recently I discovered my account had been blocked and was told to contact the executive team. I have been emailing them for over a week to find out an explanation and nobody will return with a response. My profile has been taken off and supposedly canceled for some strange reason. The sad thing is that I had 2 really good matches and was getting ready to meet one of them. Now I have no way to contact them to let them know what happened and I refuse to try to re- subscribe. Something needs to be done about this service and it needs to be exposed. From what I read, there should be a lot of refunds made and if they lose this lawsuit, monetary payouts for emotional damages.
Posted by: Frank Wilson
Date: November 10, 2006
URL: match.com
180863
I am trying to pay my bill but it will not let me. my screen name is john61759. just tell me where to pay and how i will pay with my mastercard..913 825 6574
Posted by: john
Date: January 04, 2007
URL:
181400
How sad… I was just testing the waters at Match.com & got my first Wink. It almost worked, too--but it was just a little bit too perfect & raised my suspicions, so I searched for "Match.com + shill" and got to this enlightening thread. As Kenn said, "beware of long professionally written profiles. It is a humbling thought to realize that even a quirky intelligent unique person such as myself falls neatly into some psychological profile to be so precisely targeted!
Posted by: Mark
Date: January 15, 2009
URL:
240950
You have the monopoly on useful information—aren't monopolies illgael? ;)
Posted by: Lore
Date: October 22, 2011
URL: http://www.google.com/
242725
Short, sweet, to the point, FREE-exactly as infoamrtion should be!
Posted by: Gertrude
Date: October 23, 2011
URL: http://www.google.com/
242738
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