Dating website created phony accounts

In an attempt to draw more users to its website, Australian online dating service Red Hot Pie reportedly created more than 1,000 fake profiles. A federal court has recently imposed the website to reveal the fraud to its users.

The creators of the website used phony profiles to flirt with other registered members. The court has declared that they contravened the Trade Practices Act of 1974 by engaging in misleading conduct.

The dating site “for singles and swingers&rdguo; will have to notify all members who registered between December 2004 and November 26, 2008 about the fraud. The members who can prove the misleading conduct tricked them into membership and thus, paid a membership fee, will get a refund.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has stated that the operators behind the website are obliged by law to ensure that the information on the website is accurate. “Had this conduct occurred after the introduction of the new Australian Consumer Law, it is likely the ACCC would have sought from the court civil pecuniary penalties&rdguo;, the chairman of ACCC, Graeme Samuel, explained.

A representative for Red Hot Pie claims only few members even noticed the fake profiles.

The fictional members’ profiles have now been deleted, in accordance with the court’s requirements.