Dating Sites Not Owned By Match
Best dating site not owned by match The net’s biggest Jewish dating service, JDate, has been around for nearly 20 years. Following its redesign in 2017, it is now a more streamlined service. Match Group, a subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp and the undisputed shark in the online dating pond, just swallowed another fish: Today, the global operator of dating sites including Match, Tinder.
Are you a single member at Plenty Of Fish (POF.com) dating site? You are probably searching for a new and 100% free alternative dating site due to recent changes at POF. There is some background information you need to know about POF in order to understand their recent changes, and why you will want to join our dating site instead.
Background:Plenty Of Fish is probably the most famous online dating site in the world. It was one of the first and has been around for well over a decade, and has (or had) the most members of any other site. What made this site so popular is that they prided themselves in offering a completely 100% free dating service, which was very attractive. Markus Frind, the founder of Plenty Of Fish, was the owner of the company from when it launched in 2003 up until 2015. Anyone familiar with Plenty of Fish have probably heard of him and his dedication to offering a free dating service for everyone.
Plenty Of Fish Changed: Started Charging Money & No Longer 100% Free
Recently in 2015, POF was acquired by new owners. Markus sold the company to Match Group, which is a massive company that owns a huge number of online dating sites, including OKCupid, Match.com, Tinder, Chemistry, OurTime, Meetic, SinglesNet, DateHookup and many other big name dating brands. Many of these sites charge big monthly payments just to sign up, or they charge money for upgrading accounts so users can use more features.
Markus Frind is the original founder of Plenty Of Fish (POF) dating site. POF began and ran for many years as a completely free online dating site. Markus recently sold the company in 2015 and Plenty Of Fish is now run by completely new management. Many new changes are taking place at POF.
Many POF members do not realize that Plenty Of Fish has new owners, but they do know all about the 'free' model slowly transitioning into a 'paid' model. With all the major dating sites being acquired by a single company, there are fewer and fewer free sites out there. Those free sites that were acquired, are slowly turning into paid sites. Josh, a former POF member says: 'I knew Plenty Of Fish was beginning to charge more money, but now I realize this isn't Markus's fault, the site is now run by a completely different company and this single company has a near-monopoly on almost all popular dating sites today, especially ones that used to be free'.
POF No Longer Able To Search Usernames - Search Without Registration
Recently, members there may have noticed that they can no longer search for specific usernames and rumors are spreading that this will soon become a paid feature for upgraded members only. Even more recently, visitors to the site realized that they could no longer search for members on POF at all, unless they signed up and became a registered member. They could no longer search the site anonymously as a guest - they have to be logged in. Joanne explains: 'More and more, they are moving features that used to be completely free, into the upgraded tier where you have to pay an upgrade fee to use those features that used to be free. Others like me are looking for an [free] alternative to POF, and that's why the membership and activity is slowly dying off, when there used to be well over 100+ million visits per month at POF.'
A New, 100% Free Alternative Dating Site
Our dating site ( LetsHangOut.com ) was designed and launched in late 2016 with the same mindset and inspiration that Markus Frind had: A completely 100% free and fun dating service. Lets Hang Out gives members all the site features with no upgrade costs involved - and it's an easy name remember. This includes the ability to search for members based on usernames, and anyone can search for single men and women without registration and without being required to sign up. Our dating site has a simple, familiar layout like POF, although LetsHangOut also incorporates match making questions, like OkCupid has. It's a combination of both sites, but it's 100% free. So put your credit card away and sign up today. Make Online Dating Fun (and Free) Again!
Click here to sign up!
The online dating industry is big and profitable. Online dating site Bumble, owned by MagicLabs, is valued at $3 billion and Match Group, which owns sites like Tinder, Hinge, and Match.com, reported $1.7 billion in revenue in 2018. Love is a big business.
But for me, personally, online dating is no laughing matter. Every year, thousands of people are catfished online and it can take a toll – not just financially, but emotionally, too. A “catfish” is defined as someone who creates a false online identity with the intent of defrauding someone, seeking revenge or commit identity theft.
As a public figure, my image and likeness have been used in a number of dating sites and social media platforms. It might sound like fun and games until someone gets hurt — and that’s exactly what happened recently.
A few months back, the BBC reached out to me regarding their show, For Love or Money. A woman, Rachel, had been scammed by a man calling himself “Henrick Bjorn” and using my image to communicate with her. He was even able to create a video image that looked like me and spoke with her on Skype numerous times. She was convinced I was the man she fell in love with, which is really infuriating. Since Rachel is in the UK, and the show is filmed there too, the producers Skyped me (the real me) in so I could meet her, reassure her, and offer her consolation and support after this harrowing experience.
Related: How to Growth Hack Online Dating
Dating Sites Not Owned By Match App
The tricks and technology these scammers are able to conjure is something straight out of a spy movie! It’s disgusting the length that some people will go through to inflict pain.
I’ve been married to my beautiful wife, Tami, for 37 years and these online scammers have been using my personal pictures, some of which include my grandchildren, to mislead women and even steal their money. My sympathy goes out to everyone who has been scammed because it’s more common than we think.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, online dating scams are the highest total reported scam — and that’s what reported. In 2016 in the U.S., $220 million dollars were stolen by these criminals and in 2018, $143 million dollars were reported lost.
These scammers are the lowest of the low. They not only hijack the photos of well-known celebrities or executives like me, but they often position themselves as having a career or title that keeps them away from their victims. They say they have a job traveling overseas or are in the military. Anything to keep the ruse going and avoid person-to-person contact.
After gaining their victim’s trust, they will position an emergency or some type of need for immediate cash or gift card. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a handy tips sheet on their site and even a video on YouTube that explains the tactics these scoundrels use and how to report it. This is exactly how each scammer has led victims along when they’ve used my image.
Dating Sites Not Owned By Match Club
So, how as executives in the c-suite, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders, do we protect ourselves and our personal brands from these online trolls? Here are three things you can do immediately if this is happening to you:
Report it
I always report this whenever possible — to as many agencies as I can. Because this happens to me all over the world, this can prove challenging. But make sure you report it to your local police, to the FTC and to the site where your image was used. If you’re on one site then most likely you’re on twenty more, all with different names.
Search the internet
As the busy executives that we are, we don’t have the time to search the internet for all of the images we’ve taken over the years to see how they’ve been used. That is why I have my public relations and social media team frequently check across the internet for my image and other representations of my brand to make sure everything is being used as it was intended.
You can do things like a reverse image search from your phone. I recommend you try it and see what comes up. It’s come to the point where we check online dating sites to see if criminals are using my image to scam others. You have to be a little paranoid to protect yourself. It’s not a bad thing.
I’ve also had an opportunity to connect directly with many of these victims, women like Rachel from the BBC program, For Love or Money. The opportunity for me to share my sympathy with them, to show them I’m a real person and we’re both victims here. At least put a human connection there. I know they've lost a lot. Not only money, but they’ve been hurt.
Protect your personal brand
As I speak to c-suite executives around the world, I coach them on the importance of creating and maintaining their own personal brand. There’s a study by Weber Shandwick that proves my point — they estimate that 44 percent of a company’s market value can be directly linked to the CEO’s reputation. So, I take these attacks on my personal brand seriously as they can have a direct impact on my bottom line.
I also want to make a bold statement — it is incumbent upon the industry to do better. In September, the FTC filed suit against Match Group. One of their claims against Match is that 25-30 percent of the daily sign-ups to their site are scammers. This is unacceptable. It’s time for these companies to take what I call a “Hero Mentality” and balance the billions in profit and market cap with “Hero Intensity” and take care of people. I’ve spoken to that at length in my last book, The Hero Factor. It’s time for all companies – big and small, to start taking care of the cogs that make their engines run and that is their people. That’s how you elevate your company and your culture. People first, the rest will take care of itself.
Additionally, sites like Facebook, Instagram, Google and dating sites like Match, eHarmony, Tinder and others need to step up and use the best practices, technology, and other methods readily available at their fingertips to ensure their customers and non-customers — the victims here are protected from this harassment and abuse.
This is not a victimless crime. And while no one died, it is still a serious offense and innocent people are getting hurt. It is time companies step up their game and take responsibility, demonstrate true leadership and protect their customers. Anyone using an online dating app or anyone with an online or public-facing profile needs to be aware of one of the most prevalent and predatory fraud schemes out there today. It’s no laughing matter and it’s costing everyone.