Controversial affairs site Ashley Madison has admitted to threatening to send paperwork that could potentially expose members to their spouses if they disputed payments.
Canadian company Avid Life Media admitted to CNNMoney that it used these tactics in the past with members who complained about payments on the extramarital dating service.
One email sent to an Ashley Madison user read: “If you initiate a charge back, all records will be mailed to your home. We do fight all charge backs.”
Another account written online by a different user said Ashley Madison threatened to call his home so they could discuss his dispute in more detail.
The admission comes as the site begins to rebuild itself with new leadership, following last year’s devastating hack that exposed millions of users’ details.
Speaking about these practises, Avid Life spokesperson Debra Quinn assured users that the company will no longer undergo such tactics, saying: “That past practise stopped when our new CEO Rob Segal and new President James Millership took the helm.”
Last week Ashley Madison also admitted to using “fembots” to lure male users into paying for the site’s premium service, because they thought they were being messaged by real women, not fake profiles.
Going forward, Quinn said the Canadian business will put user safety and confidentiality first, saying: “Over the next few months, our team will be working hard to introduce more discreet features, privacy safeguards and most important, to rebuild trust over the long-term.”
Read more about the story here.