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# FTC sues owner of Match.com for using fake love interest ads to trick consumers into paying for a Match.com subscription
- URL: https://capitolcommunicator.com/ftc-sues-owner-of-online-dating-service-match-com-for-using-fake-love-interest-ads-to-trick-consumers-into-paying-for-a-match-com-subscription/
- Published: 2025-08-12T16:52:37.000Z
- Updated: 2025-08-12T17:13:30.000Z
- Author: Capitol Communicator
- Tags: Advertising, #wp-top-center-sponsored, #Import 2026-10-08 18:55

**The Federal Trade Commission, based in Washington, D.C., has sued Match Group, Inc. (Match)**, the owner of Match.com, Tinder, OKCupid, PlentyOfFish, and other dating sites, alleging that the company used fake love interest advertisements to trick hundreds of thousands of consumers into purchasing paid subscriptions on Match.com.

The agency also alleges that Match has unfairly exposed consumers to the risk of fraud and engaged in other allegedly deceptive and unfair practices. For instance, the FTC alleges Match offered false promises of “guarantees,” failed to provide services to consumers who unsuccessfully disputed charges, and made it difficult for users to cancel their subscriptions.

“We believe that Match.com conned people into paying for subscriptions via messages the company knew were from scammers,” said **Andrew Smith**, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Online dating services obviously shouldn’t be using romance scammers as a way to fatten their bottom line.”

According to a release, “Match allows users to create Match.com profiles free of charge, but prohibits users from responding to messages without upgrading to a paid subscription. According to the [FTC’s complaint](https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/match%5F-%5Fcomplaint.pdf?ref=capitolcommunicator.com), Match sent emails to nonsubscribers stating that someone had expressed an interest in that consumer. Specifically, when nonsubscribers with free accounts received likes, favorites, emails, and instant messages on Match.com, they also received emailed ads from Match encouraging them to subscribe to Match.com to view the identity of the sender and the content of the communication.

“The FTC alleges that millions of contacts that generated Match’s “You caught his eye” notices came from accounts the company had already flagged as likely to be fraudulent. By contrast, Match prevented existing subscribers from receiving email communications from a suspected fraudulent account.

“Many consumers purchased subscriptions because of these deceptive ads, hoping to meet a real user who might be “the one.” The FTC alleges that instead, these consumers often would have found a scammer on the other end.

“According to the FTC’s complaint, consumers came into contact with the scammer if they subscribed before Match completed its fraud review process. If Match completed its review process and deleted the account as fraudulent before the consumer subscribed, the consumer received a notification that the profile was “unavailable.” “