WebProNews

Tag: dating sites

  • Ashley Madison Hack Has Been Cleaned Up, Says Company

    Online dating site for married people Ashley Madison fell victim to a hack over the weekend, putting the personal information of over 37 million users in jeopardy.

    Now, the company says it has scrubbed all leaked info.

    “Using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), our team has now successfully removed the posts related to this incident as well as all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) about our users published online. We have always had the confidentiality of our customers’ information foremost in our minds and are pleased that the provisions included in the DMCA have been effective in addressing this matter,” says the company.

    According to security researcher Brian Krebs, who first reported the hack, those responsible laid out a manifesto for their actions, claiming that Ashley Madison mislead customers, and that was the impetus behind the hack:

    From Krebs:

    In a long manifesto posted alongside the stolen ALM data, The Impact Team said it decided to publish the information in response to alleged lies ALM told its customers about a service that allows members to completely erase their profile information for a $19 fee.

     

    According to the hackers, although the “full delete” feature that Ashley Madison advertises promises “removal of site usage history and personally identifiable information from the site,” users’ purchase details — including real name and address — aren’t actually scrubbed.

    “Too bad for those men, they’re cheating dirtbags and deserve no such discretion,” the hackers continued. “Too bad for ALM, you promised secrecy but didn’t deliver. We’ve got the complete set of profiles in our DB dumps, and we’ll release them soon if Ashley Madison stays online. And with over 37 million members, mostly from the US and Canada, a significant percentage of the population is about to have a very bad day, including many rich and powerful people,” they said.

    In a statement from Avid Life Media, Ashley Madison’s parent company confirmed the attack soon after Krebs’ report, saying,

    “We apologize for this unprovoked and criminal intrusion into our customers’ information. The current business world has proven to be one in which no company’s online assets are safe from cyber-vandalism, with Avid Life Media being only the latest among many companies to have been attacked, despite investing in the latest privacy and security technologies.”

    Earlier this year, dating site Adult Friend Finder was hacked, exposing more than three million users.

  • Dating Site Hack Exposes Users’ Sexual Preferences, Account Data

    Data breaches that reveal email address, usernames, passwords, and other account information are common and pretty serious in their own right – but when a hack reveals even more sensitive personal information it’s downright scary.

    According to a report from Channel4, a data breach has exposed nearly four million users of Adult FreindFinder, a dating website. you’ve probably seen its ads all over the internet.

    And alongside the usual account information, hackers reportedly leaked info like users’ sexual orientation and “which ones might be seeking extramarital affairs.”

    Yikes.

    “The stolen data reveals the sexual preferences of users, whether they’re gay or straight, and even indicates which ones might be seeking extramarital affairs. In addition, the hackers have revealed email addresses, usernames, dates of birth, postal codes and unique internet addresses of users’ computers,” reports Channel4.

    “Online crime experts believe the after the initial spam email campaign, hackers will now begin trawling through the data for potential blackmail targets. The spreadsheets contain addresses linked to dozens of government and armed services personnel, including members of the British Army.”

    Adult FriendFinder’s parent company confirmed the data breach in a statement to the BBC, but didn’t provide a lot of details:

    FriendFinder Networks Inc. has only just been made aware of this potential issue and understands and fully appreciates the seriousness of the issue,” the firm said in an emailed statement.

    We have already begun working closely with law enforcement and have launched a comprehensive investigation with the help of leading third-party forensics expert, Mandiant.

    Until the investigation is completed, it will be difficult to determine with certainty the full scope of the incident, but we will continue to work vigilantly to address this potential issue and will provide updates as we learn more from our investigation.

    We cannot speculate further about this issue, but rest assured, we pledge to take the appropriate steps needed to protect our customers if they are affected.

    There are reports that the hacker attempted to blackmail the site before publishing the data on the dark web. Apparently, Adult FriendFinder wasn’t too keen on that.

  • Dating Site Zoosk Is Basically Rolling Out Verified Profiles

    Apart from he was a stalker or I got catfished, the most common complaint from online daters has to be, they didn’t look anything like their picture!. Call it superficial, but people don’t want to be fooled when it comes to anything – especially a potential partner’s looks. Now, one online dating site is attempting to make it harder for people to misrepresent themselves.

    Zoosk, a top dating site/app with over 25 million visible profiles, is launching photo verification.

    Users can submit video selfies to the Zoosk team, which are supposed to capture their faces from multiple angles. Zoosk will then review the videos, and determine whether or not the user’s profile photo is an accurate representation of how they actually look.

    If Zoosk gives users the green light, a “Photo Verified” badge will appear on their profile.

    It’s basically like getting a Twitter verified check mark, but for dating.

    “One of the most important concerns of online daters is going out with someone who doesn’t really resemble their profile picture,” said Shayan Zadeh, co-founder and CEO of Zoosk. “By innovating a system for our members to validate the accuracy of existing profile photos, we believe we can create better first-date experiences that will lead to lasting relationships.”

    Obviously, the goal is to engender more trust in the online dating process. It’s common for people to use photos in their profiles from when they were 20 pounds lighter, or 20 years younger. Zoosk says that inaccurate profile pictures are a top concern of its users.

    Image via Zoosk

  • Best Dating Sites: There’s One For You

    Best Dating Sites: There’s One For You

    If you are interested in online dating, you may be overwhelmed by the number of dating sites that are available to you. While it may look like they are all the same, this is not the case and certain sites are better suited for certain people than others.

    When you are ready to try out a dating site, consider the age of the people you want to meet, hobbies or lifestyles and the type of relationship you are looking for. There are dating sites designed to appeal to everyone, regardless of your tastes and desires.

    Age
    Age is a major factor in determining what type of dating website is right for you. While many dating sites are designed for people of any age, there are others that narrow down the results and options by appealing to certain age groups. Elderly singles may enjoy sites such as HowAboutWe, which is designed for people over 50. Younger daters may have better luck on sites like Match.com or even social media sites such as Facebook.

    Religion
    While some couples who have different religious views are able to make it work, many people prefer to date people who are of the same religion. If you are Christian, you may want to try a dating site such as Christian Mingle or Christian Connection. There are numerous other dating websites that cater to people of other religions such as Jews, Muslims and even atheists.

    Sexual Preference
    Dating sites that are designed for people with certain sexual preferences are not only safer, but also easier to use. If you are gay, bisexual or transgender, there are plenty of websites that will help you find love without feeling judged. Sites like Gay.com are designed for gays and lesbians to find each other and allows them to feel comfortable with their sexuality. No more wondering if that attractive guy or girl would be into you. Sexual preference sites take away all the guess work.

    When you are ready to sign up for a new dating site, make sure you choose one that will meet all your needs and make dating easier and more enjoyable. There is a site out there for you.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Facebook Shuts Down Dating Site Ad That Used Suicide Victim’s Photograph

    The story of Rehteah Parsons is that of a 17-year-old Canadian girl who was gang-raped and then, afterwords, mercilessly bullied for two years before being driven to make a suicide attempt, dying as a result of her injuries three days later.

    The Nova Scotia teen died in April of this year after being found in the bathroom of her home, hung in an attempted suicide. Rehteah was kept in the hospital for three days, until her family made the difficult decision to unplug her from life support. Rehteah had gone to a party in 2011, where she drank heavily and was then brutally raped by four young men. One of the rapists took photographs, which were then circulated online and spread throughout Rehteah’s school.

    Rehteah was branded a “slut” by the students at her school and endured two years of merciless bullying, both in person and over the internet. The family even moved to a different town in an attempt to halt the cruel bullying, but to no avail; the online harassment continued. When the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were contacted, they launched an investigation, but eventually told the Parsons that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge those involved.

    After much anger and activism spurred after the girl’s death, including threats from the online hacktivist group Anonymous, two arrests were made and it finally seemed like the Parsons might be able to grasp some semblance of justice after years of turmoil.

    The story picks up again, however, with an online dating website using Rehteah’s photograph in one of its Facebook advertisements. The promotion included a picture of smiling Rehteah, as well as the text, “Find Love in Canada! Meet Canadian girls and women for friendship, dating or relationships.” Once people caught on to the picture and raised concerns, Facebook quickly responded by removing the ad and banning the European company, whose ads were meant to direct users to a matchmaking service called “ionechat.com.”

    A Facebook official was quoted as saying, “This is a gross violation of our ad policies and we have removed the ad and permanently deleted the advertiser’s account. We apologize for any harm this caused.”

    The advertisement was a traumatic experience for Rehteah’s father who, when asked about the incident, was quoted as saying, “I am completely bewildered and disgusted by this,” he wrote in a message. “I don’t even know what to say.”

    Image courtesy of Angel Rehtaeh, the Facebook page created in Rehtaeh’s memory, managed by her mother.

  • ‘Christian Mingle Rapist’ Used Dating Site to Find Victim, Say Police

    Police say that a 37-year-old former member of the Navy raped at least one woman after finding her on the religious-based dating site ChristianMingle.com.

    According to reports, Sean Patrick Banks was apprehended and charged with two counts of rape. He plead not guilty and was released on $500,000 bond.

    Police allege that Banks sexually assaulted a woman in La Mesa, California back in November, after meeting her on the ChristianMingle site. It was their first “face-to-face” date as a result of their online communications.

    ChristianMingle.com calls itself a “a Christian personals community where you can find singles that share your values and love for God in Christ.”

    Apparently, the break in the case came when ChristianMingle.com helped police by divulging user records.

    “We continue to assist the La Mesa police department with its investigation in every way possible. The safety and security of our members is extremely important to us. In addition to having experts manually review all profile content and photos, we have developed several proprietary, automated tools to ensure the highest possible level of safety and privacy for our communities,” said a ChristianMingle.com spokesperson.

    Police suspect that Banks may be responsible for additional assaults, carried out through various ChristianMingle.com profiles.

    They say that he trolled the site using aliases like “Rylan Butterwood” and “Rylan Harbough.”

    “We’re looking to see if there are any other victims. We’re trying to locate other victims who recognize him by his face, because they may not know his real name is Sean,” say police.

    [via ABC News]
    [Lead Image via ChristianMingle.com – not associated with the crime]

  • Tis Better To Have Loved? Online Romance Scams Cost Victims Million Last Year

    Tis better to have loved and lost
    Than never to have loved at all

    – Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1849

    Do you think Lord Tennyson was also talking about loving and losing in the realm of online dating? Based on figures from a recent study by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), we highly doubt it.

    According to their new study, the 2011 Internet Crime Report, online “romance scams” cost the lovelorn of the internet over $50 million.

    The IC3’s report deals with all kinds of fraud across the interwebs, as they pull from the hundreds of thousands of individual complaints they receive each year. In 2011 alone, IC3 received 314,246 complaints totaling a total loss by victims of $485 million+. That’s around $1,500 in losses reported per complaint. Out of those 314,000+ complaints, 5,600 were of the “romance scam” variety.

    What qualifies as a “romance scam” you might ask? Basically, any monetary manipulation using any available internet channel to deceive people with promises of false love. Man, that’s cold.

    Victims believe they are “dating” someone decent and honest. However, the online contact is often a criminal with a well-rehearsed script that scammers use repeatedly and successfully. Scammers search chat rooms, dating sites, and social networking sites looking for victims. Although the principal group of victims is over 40 years old, divorced or widowed, disabled and often elderly, all demographics are at risk

    Per the IC3’s breakdown, the complaints were made on a visible gender bias. Nearly 4,000 of the 5,600 complaints were from women. The hardest hit group was women between the ages of 40 and 59, who filed 2,656 of the complaints. All in all (men and women), the exact number the IC3 put on the damages was $50,399,563. That’s a lot of fraudulent internet wining, dining, and screwing over.

    The Internet Crime Report talks about other common schemes like Auto-action fraud, work-from-home scams, and FBI impersonation email scams – but romance scams stick out. That’s because the average reported loss per victim was higher – $8,900 or $138,000 a day. Love hurts.

  • If You Have Evidence Of Tim Tebow’s Non-Virginity, You Could Win A Million Bucks

    NFL Quarterback Tim Tebow’s virginity is an oft-discussed fact. If you have proof that we should downgrade the status of his virginity from “fact” to “questionable declaration” or even from “fact” to “outright lie,” you could find yourself an instant millionaire.

    AshleyMadison.com, the internet’s premier dating site for those looking to indulge in some extramarital affairs, has posted a reward to Rewarder.com. The premise is simple. They want a former (or current, I guess) sexual partner of Tim Tebow to come forward and disprove his claim that he’s saving himself for marriage. I guess they feel that all of his fame and (relative) success must have brought scores of temptations – temptations that he was unable to deflect.

    Here’s what they have to say in the posting:

    Conservative quarterback Tim Tebow is as famous for taking a knee on the field as he is for not scoring off the field. Notorious infidelity dating website AshleyMadison.com wants to know just how innocent Tebow really is — and we’re willing to pay big to anyone with proof that he’s been getting busy in the sack.

    The big payout is a cool one million dollars.

    “No man of Tim Tebow’s stature could survive a season in New York without succumbing to the temptations of the city,” said AshleyMadison’s CEO, Noel Biderman.

    He’s probably right. Even though he was recently booed at a New York Yankees game, I’m sure there are plenty of women in the area that would fall in line to taint Tebow’s pristine reputation. He’s going to be exposed to so much more in the Big Apple than he was in Denver – hell, Madonna even said that she would be his personal guide around to city (wink wink).

    I can only imagine that this one will be hard for the folks at AshleyMadison to verify. What kind of proof would they need to feel safe dishing out the cash? A secret lovechild complete with DNA results? A sex tape? Are we even sure that Tebow could complete the pass, if you know what I’m saying?

    AshleyMadison’s motto is “life’s short, have an affair.” Here’s to hoping they find that Tebow feels the same way. I’d love to see the ESPN offices in Bristol implode.

    [h/t Ben Parr]

  • Fallen Iraq War Vet’s Photo Used Unwittingly On Dating Sites

    When a photo is put on the internet, we all know how easy it is for that photo to be taken and used in a variety of ways – many ways that aren’t compatible with the original intent of the poster. The parents of one fallen U.S. soldier know this all too well.

    They have filed lawsuits against two online dating sites: PlentyofFish.com and True.com for using their son’s photo to advertise their dating services.

    Lt. Peter Burks was killed in 2007 in Iraq. The Bronze Star recipient was returning from a mission in Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded under his vehicle. Four years later, one of Lt. Burks’ friends was apparently browsing PlentyofFish.com when he saw the Lieutenant’s photo in a pop-up ad that read “Military Man Searching fo Love.” He said the photo in the ad was taken just a few days before he was killed. According to Burks’ parents, the photo was one of their son that is featured on his memorial site.

    Click on that pop-up led you to True.com.

    “These websites are using the photo of a fallen hero simply as a means to make money and that’s just plain wrong,” says attorney Rogge Dunn of Dallas’ Clouse Dunn LLP, who represents Lt. Burks’ parents. “This has caused a great deal of pain to those who loved Peter – his family and fiancee – and has reopened old wounds.”

    This story is reminiscent of another incident involving photos being used for nefarious purposes. Earlier this month, high school girls from a Boston Vocational school learned that their Facebook photos were being used on various porn sites. In that case, it was unclear as to what prosecutors could do – the sites were outside of U.S. jurisdiction plus there’s the whole thing about Facebook photos not really belonging to the users once they post them.

    In this situation, Alan Burks says he “just wants these companies to admit what they did is wrong and to stop doing it.”

    They’ve said that any money received from the lawsuits will go to support the troops.

  • New Tech Can Track Where You Look On Dating Sites

    Dating sites can be a wealth of information for those looking for that special someone. The looking part is being studied by Tobii to determine what men and women spend their time looking at on dating profiles.

    Tobii in collaboration with their research partner AnswerLab were using their new X1 Light Eye Tracker technology to showcase the main benefit of the new product to researchers. They found their samples at a San Francisco coffee shop and asked them to participate in a study that would have them looking at dating profiles of the opposite sex according to All Things D.

    The test had participants viewing mock-up pages at eHarmony and Match.com. After thoroughly perusing the results, they came to a few interesting conclusions. Men spent 65 percent more time than women did reviewing photos in profiles. Women spent about 50 percent more time than men reading the text of a person’s background and interests.

    Women spent an average of 84 seconds looking at a profile to find out if the profile was to their liking, compared to 58 seconds for men.

    The study also found that people tend to relate better to dating profiles that reflect how they would build their own. If a person would share a lot of personal information about themselves, they were more likely to search out the profiles that were very personal. On the flip side of that, people who don’t like to share much about themselves went for the profiles that were just straight facts without much elaboration.

    This is just the first test in many where Tobii will be testing their new eye-tracking technology. The eye tracker can pinpoint exactly where a person’s eye is looking within a centimeter. They will be using the X1 Eye Tracker in more scenarios to demonstrate how researchers can use it to obtain accurate results.

    They also feel that their studies may help dating sites develop a better interface for their users.

    The test involved 40 people which is a decent sample size. They will be conducting further research to demonstrate their eye tracker’s capabilities to the market research community.