There's something seriously dodgy going on with Plenty Of Fish. Fake profiles ahoy!

Chin Stroker

So I joined up recently for a nose and got chatting to what seemed like a couple of nice girls. Or so I thought.

My gut feeling wasnt sitting right on some of the replies and questions, they seemed a little too generic, copied and pasted. So I ran some of their pictures through Google Images and whatta ya know. The same picture comes up on multiple profiles. If you go to click on them in Google another girl shows up. So maybe the image was held in Google's cache and the messers just rotate images?

Ive since heard that Plenty Of Fish employees themselves set these up as the amount of men vs women ration on the site is getting a bit crazy and they want to keep the men hooked, so to speak.

Here's what I found and this was with just two I did some sleuthing on. Id say the site is full of this kind of thing.


http://img42.com/bIzhX

darkpagandeath

Ah, your codding me ?

Frosty McSnowballs

The sexy singles forum on this site is better. Check it out OP

Mr. Incognito

Maybe those are just women that had a profile. Closed it and then opened another one.

I think though that you should definetly post their names and images on a whim on the most popular forum on boards. Theyll love that.

Maybe you should post your own too for us all to have a look at?

mopey

bots fishing for credit card details?

Chin Stroker

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Maybe those are just women that had a profile. Closed it and then opened another one.

If you go to click on those links in Google another girl shows up. So maybe the image was held in Google's cache and the messers just rotate images?

Different girls are showing up in Google's cache with the same image. Dodgy.

Maximus Alexander

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Maybe you should post your own too for us all to have a look at?

He'll never do that, he'd much rather remain... Incognito?


...


...

No Pants

What did Plenty of Fish say when you brought this to their attention OP?

Mr. Incognito

Chin Stroker wrote: »

Different girls are showing up in Google's cache with the same image. Dodgy.

Dodgy according to you. Doesnt give you the right to repost private images on the web in the absense of proof. You really should remove those links.

You sound like a catch.

Knasher

I doubt they would go to the bother to be honest. If they want to lie about the number of women on their site (which I have no problem believing they might do), then that is as simple as adjusting a little code. It is doubtful that anyone would, or even could, check. Making up tons of fake profiles, badly, seems like a lot of work incompetently done.

Irishcrx

Something Fishy going on alright..

Maglight

I have a bit of experience working in the online dating industry. It was a constant battle against scammers. As a rule of thumb, if the profile photo looks professional and the person is very good looking, it's probably fake. Online dating is great, but if it looks too good to be true, that's probably because it isn't.

Chin Stroker

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Dodgy according to you. Doesnt give you the right to repost private images on the web in the absense of proof.

The images arent private, they're on Google. And the proof is the images.

No Pants

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Dodgy according to you. Doesnt give you the right to repost private images on the web in the absense of proof. You really should remove those links.

Has the OP not just proven that these particular images are all over google? Hardly private.

Alf. A. Male

So are you telling me desperate34 and cantfindamaninreallife69 are not actually meeting me this weekend for long walks on the beach? Ah feck.

urabell

The main problem isn't that they're fake profiles but the fact that neither of those women are attractive

No Pants

urabell wrote: »

The main problem isn't that they're fake profiles but the fact that neither of those women are attractive

Black & White photos too FFS. I was born in 1975 with colour eyes. :rolleyes:

Chin Stroker

No Pants wrote: »

What did Plenty of Fish say when you brought this to their attention OP?

I reported the first one and heard nothing back. All her profiles remain online too, which cements my theory and the stories Ive heard that its Plenty Of Fish themselves who generate these profiles.

No Pants

Chin Stroker wrote: »

I reported the first one and heard nothing back. All her profiles remain online too, which cements my theory and the stories Ive heard that its Plenty Of Fish themselves who generate these profiles.

How much do you pay for site access? Or do you?

duffman13

No Pants wrote: »

How much do you pay for site access? Or do you?

It's free apparently so no reason for them to drum up fake profiles

Nemeses

I'd rather tuna.

urabell

Show us pics of yourself opie, need to prove that you're real

Chin Stroker

No Pants wrote: »

How much do you pay for site access? Or do you?

Its free of course. Arent they all?

No Pants

Chin Stroker wrote: »

Its free of course. Arent they all?

I've no idea. I'm happily married and, if I wasn't, the missus catching me on a dating site would hardly improve my situation.

LizzieJones

Chin Stroker wrote: »

I reported the first one and heard nothing back. All her profiles remain online too, which cements my theory and the stories Ive heard that its Plenty Of Fish themselves who generate these profiles.

That would not surprise me in the least.

ancapailldorcha

The paid sites are worse for it though.

No Pants

Is there a way for you as a site user to block profiles that you believe are fake so that you don't see them anymore?

ancapailldorcha

No Pants wrote: »

Is there a way for you as a site user to block profiles that you believe are fake so that you don't see them anymore?

There's usually a block feature.

Chin Stroker

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

The paid sites are worse for it though.

Really? Name and shame.

ancapailldorcha

Chin Stroker wrote: »

Really? Name and shame.

Well, they want you to pay up so they create fake profiles to entice people.

efb

So it's not plenty of fish, it's Few fish and reflections in the sea...

corner of hells

efb wrote: »

So it's not plenty of fish, it's Few fish and reflections in the sea...

Just be careful of the ones with crabs.

Arthur Beesley

corner of hells wrote: »

Just be careful of the ones with crabs.

Don't like the smell off yours.

LizzieJones

No Pants wrote: »

Is there a way for you as a site user to block profiles that you believe are fake so that you don't see them anymore?

If you use the nickname 'No pants' on a internet dating website chances are pretty good that they will be blocking you.

Woodbrook80

I'm a success story from plenty of fish
I meet few people on there that didn't work out, were married! Or crazy
But I met my husband on there now 3 years together
I know other people that have met partners on there ! Not all bad

discus

Pof in Ireland is crap, compared to over here in the UK. People in the UK want to meet up, whereas in Ireland people are just there for a nosy.

Chin Stroker

efb wrote: »

So it's not plenty of fish, it's Few fish and reflections in the sea...

A Few Fish And Many Mermaids.

c_man

Ace detective work rookie.

Lucifer MorningStar

I don't like fish

catallus

How can anyone not like fish?! The delectable delights of the nourishing flesh which has fed ten thousand generations of people is not to be poo-pooed!

Anyways, all dating sites are filled to the gills with cops and I'm pretty sure there's about three women in the whole country on them!

Chin Stroker

efb wrote: »

So it's not plenty of fish, it's Few fish and reflections in the sea...

This springs to mind too http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120326002951/simpsons/images/8/87/Blinky_Art.png

mikeym

Theres a show on MTV called Catfish its a good laugh to watch.

maguic24

Plenty of fish, dodgy? Never! :-O

fussyonion

My cousin was on a dating site a good few years back.

He got chatting to this girl who said she was a model (course you are, love!), twenty four and owned her own home in leafy Foxrock.

She was reluctant to show him a picture of herself but eventually showed him a picture, clearly professionally taken, of a blonde woman in her underwear.

She wouldn't meet up with him and would only communicate with him on the phone or through email.

Eventually he gave up with her and a few months later, he decided to Google her picture and lo and behold, he found her photo....but it was of a relatively unknown American athlete.

Moral of the story...always be wary of who you're talking to. People aren't all they seem online!

top madra

fussyonion wrote: »

My cousin was on a dating site a good few years back.

He got chatting to this girl who said she was a model (course you are, love!), twenty four and owned her own home in leafy Foxrock.

She was reluctant to show him a picture of herself but eventually showed him a picture, clearly professionally taken, of a blonde woman in her underwear.

She wouldn't meet up with him and would only communicate with him on the phone or through email.

Eventually he gave up with her and a few months later, he decided to Google her picture and lo and behold, he found her photo....but it was of a relatively unknown American athlete.

Moral of the story...always be wary of who you're talking to. People aren't all they seem online!

Tbf your cousin doesn't sound too bright.

fussyonion

top madra wrote: »

Tbf your cousin doesn't sound too bright.

He wouldn't be the sharpest tool in the drawer, no!

biko

If they renamed it "Plenty of women" I'd be more inclined to use it.

fussyonion

biko wrote: »

If they renamed it "Plenty of women" I'd be more inclined to use it.

If you weren't in Galway and I wasn't already attached, I'd ping ya!

Chin Stroker

We have another one

http://img42.com/fUsXS

What's worrying is that if these people arent Plenty Of Fish employees then their motives for doing this could be very suspect indeed.

Son of a gun

Next you'll be telling me those sexy singles aren't really ready and waiting to take my call...

B.A._Baracus

BBC showed an interesting documentary this year about fake profiles on internet dating sites. Not that you had to see it to realise that it goes on. It's fairly obvious to anyone whos ever used a dating website. But it's just another negative point to add that dating websites are full of crap.

On the subject tho, I think said websites are a waste of time. Yes there are genuine people on them. Yes people do meet and get into relationships. But the percentages of being successful are low.

Back ten years ago dating websites had a social stigma about them (which was bloody stupid) but it also meant alot of people weren't on them. So you had alot more genuine people who wanted relationships on them. Now every Tom, Dick, Sharon & Mary Jane are on them. Same type of sort you would meet in a pub.