They posted a fake personal ads on Craigslist and when responded they sent me this email:
"Hey, BlackLab i'm very interested. You're the only guy that has contacted me that seems worthwhile.
Would you mind calling me? My laptop isn't working at the moment so I have to use the "family pc" until I get it fixed. This computer has parental controls and I cannot type a phone number because it censors it, trust me, its impossible. I cant even spell it out. If you send your phone number it will be censored when it comes into my computer. Anyway I left a note for you and put my phone number in bold on my profile, please dont give it to anyone. It will be removed in 20 minutes after i send this email to you so hurry up and call. Here is my profile link: "1shootingstar" - You can also see my pic on there to make sure you are interested in meeting me (I hope so as I want to get with you!) I have my cellphone clipped to my jeans and waiting for your call hehehe.
- talk to you then!"
When I went to the profile link her message and phone # were cut off and this is what it said:
"You must sign in to view the rest of this users profile!
Click here Relax, it's absolutely FREE."
The webpage with this girl's profile is set up to look up your IP address and fill in the city/state where she supposedly lives so it looks like it is nearby.
So I signed up for a free profile for myself. There is no "rest of the profile" to be found with the woman's phone number. That IS fraud.
Suddenly I start getting several messages every day from women who supposedly want to talk to me. After about twenty of them I decided one might be a decent woman to respond to and I pay my $24. I find out all of these profiles for these women are for women who don't exist. It's the website people making them up.
I call to get a refund and they tell me I agreed to these conditions.
Here is what the terms and conditions states:
"E. This Service is for Amusement Purposes.
1. You understand and accept that our site, while built in the form of a personals service, is an entertainment service. All profiles are provided for the amusement and entertainment of our members and our users. You are not guaranteed that you will find a date, a companion, or an activity partner, or that you will meet any of our members in person.
2. Online CupidTM Communications: You understand, acknowledge, and agree that some of the user profiles posted on this site may be fictitious, and are associated with to our "Online CupidsTM", ("OC"). Our OC's work for the site in an effort to stimulate conversation with users, in order to encourage further and broader participation in all of our site's services, including the posting of additional information and/or pictures to the users' profiles. The OC's also serve to proactively monitor user activities and communications to ensure compliance with our Terms and Conditions. You understand, acknowledge, and agree that the information, text, and pictures contained in the OC's profiles do not pertain to any actual person, but are included for entertainment purposes only. Nothing contained in any OC profile is intended to describe or resemble any real person - living or dead. Any similarity between OC user profile descriptions and any person is purely coincidental. Please also note that a single OC may be associated with more than one (1) profile on our site.
You further understand, acknowledge, and agree that, from time-to-time, OC's may contact both free users and paid users via computer-generated Instant Messages or emails for purposes of encouraging further or broader participation in our site's services and/or to monitor user activity. These messages may be transmitted to multiple recipients at the same or similar time (s). Messages from OC's will contain the uniform designation "OC" to notify the user that a message has been received from an Online Cupid.in the event the user responds to an OC message, either via email or Instant Message, the user may receive one or more additional personal or form responses from the OC. You understand, acknowledge, and agree that no physical meeting will ever take place between you and our OC's, and that the exchange of messages between you and an OC is for entertainment purposes, as well as to encourage further or broader participation in our site's services and/or to monitor user activities. Notwithstanding the above, the user is not guaranteed a response to any message sent to an OC (or another user)."
This site is deceptive from beginning to end. Gotchya capitalism at it's finest. It's one thing to admit the site is full of non-real profiles in the fine print that nobody ever reads but to lure people from a legitimate site under false pretenses can't be legal. It's a bait and switch operation.
Rob
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.
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