Online dating company will pay $600,000 to settle fake profile allegations

An online dating company has agreed to pay more than $600,000 to settle allegations that it tricked consumers with fake dating profiles. The company operates dating websites such as cupidswand.com, flirtcrowd.com, and findmelove.com. The Federal Trade Commission argues that the deceptive practice violates federal law.

Users can sign up for the company's dating sites for free. Once they did so, the FTC says, they would often be greeted by messages from what appeared to be other users of the site. These profiles often included pictures, biographical details, and a location near the target user:

That little icon in the upper-right stands for "virtual cupid," and it's the only sign that the profile is not, in fact, a real person. The FTC says unsuspecting men signed up for profiles that cost $10 to $20 per month in hopes of meeting these imaginary women.

In addition to paying a $616,165 settlement, which the FTC will try to use to compensate victims, the company has also promised to clearly disclose that not all profiles on the site represent real users.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple reasons that we can't rely only on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on.

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. We can’t do that if we have a paywall.

That’s why we also turn to you, our readers, to help us keep Vox free. If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today?

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via