Nearly 500 complaints of fraud committed by dating services were filed last year, with men accounting for about 91 percent of the alleged victims, Executive Yuan Consumer Protection Committee statistics showed.
People aged 23 to 32 comprise 50 percent of the complainants. People aged 33 to 42 filed 38 percent of complaints, and 9 percent were reported from people aged 43 to 52.
Controversies relating to services that charge fees to introduce potential dating partners are becoming more common, the committee said.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public
Complaints were filed against dating services offered at the business’ premises and online, the data showed.
Some common complaints involve selling products or lessons through apps or online dating platforms, or signing unsecured loan agreements to be paid on installment plans, that burden customers with large amounts of debt.
Other schemes include charging fees for meet-up events, persuading customers to upgrade to VIP accounts with exorbitant costs, charging excessive fees to draft user profiles or enroll in video lessons, and applying pressure when customers request to terminate contracts, the committee said.
The committee has requested the Ministry of the Interior to draft regulations and specify appropriate language to be used in dating-service contracts to protect consumers.
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