Match Group has revealed that the US Department of Justice has closed its investigation into the online dating company’s business practices.
The examination was launched after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit, claiming that almost half a million Match.com users were conned into signing up for premium accounts.
The FTC alleged that scammers were allowed to remain on the platform and send messages to free members. Recipients would also get a notification to say that someone was interested in them.
In order to find out the identity of their admirer, singles would need to upgrade to a premium account. The main basis of the FTC lawsuit was the claim that Match.com used fraudulent actors to convert its unsubscribed members.
Match Group maintained that the allegations were false and was prepared to “vigorously” defend itself in court.
This latest ruling from the Department of Justice also frees the dating company from a grand jury subpoena.
A statement from a Match Group spokesperson last September asserted that it is better for the business to remove fraud rather than benefit from it for financial gain. Company data suggested that 96% of scam accounts were blocked within 24 hours, and 85% were eliminated within four hours.
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