Fake accounts

CuddlyKind7CuddlyKind7
in General

I’ve been on this app a little while now and I have to say there’s some lovely and beautiful people in the US. Very open minded people.

Here in the uk the cuddle scene is dry and non existent. The same 4-5 people in my area and aload of fake profile that are ten years old but sporadically make an appearance and disappear again.

They’re clearly bots. Fake profiles generated by the site to make it seem there are users in the area.

Spoils the app a bit and makes one question which accounts are real.

Comments

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne
    edited August 2024

    I’m curious about what you write. You make a statement based on your own thinking/experience. Is it an actual fact that they’re all fake, bots created by the Evil Owner of CC?? 😱
    I want to know where you get this information.
    (Having a woman in your photo may not help you find a Cuddler IMO)

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    @g_w_t_w
    I agree with you. It is also difficult for me to comprehend how the OP can comment about

    aload of fake profile that are ten years old but sporadically make an appearance and disappear again

    When the OP’s account was just created last month 🤔

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne
    edited August 2024

    @JohnR1972
    Exactly!
    So many people join this site expecting instant gratification. It is not going to happen. We have to realize that not everybody thinks the way we do, we all have different expectations and requirements

  • JubalJubal

    Well, to be fair, the main page of the site creates an expectation of quick gratification:

    "How it Works
    How to Step 1 You sign up for free in under 30 seconds.
    How to Step 2 You search for the nearest cuddle buddy.
    How to Step 3 You message them without having to explain – they get it.
    How to Step 4 You meet-up and cuddle without it progressing to more."

    This would create an expectation in a reasonable person that it's a quick process without much work involved.

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    I have been been on this site every day for four years (posting here most of these days) and I live in London, same as the OP. I don't think I've ever seen a confirmed bot account from this area, and I've certainly never seen the slightlest hint of shenanigins by the management.

    All the accounts are 'real' in the sense that there is a person behind them. Occasionally that person is a scammer who bears no relation to the purported account holder, but the vast majority of accounts are real people. By far the biggest problem is that many of these people have either misunderstood the nature of the site, or are attempting to misuse it.

    It is true that there are few enthusiast women hereabouts, but I have cuddled with a number of enthusiast women I met on this site so it can be done. It is also true that there are people who pop in once or twice a year: I have chatted to some of them, and most are struggling with all kinds of challenges. For some of them even logging on for a moment is a success. I suspect some spend years trying to pluck up the courage to cuddle somebody.

    I have been successful here because when I first got nowhere I didn't complain and invent explanations. I rolled up my sleeves, learnt, and worked. (Well, strictly speaking the first time I gave it up as a bad job, but then it was lockdown time. It was when I came back that I did the sleeve thing.)

  • Jack62Jack62

    what would a "confirmed bot account " look like?

  • MorpheusMorpheus

    It would probably be deleted

  • [Deleted User]WriterGF (deleted user)

    Not really a good look to start accusing ownership of things if you have no proof. Good way to get yourself banned.

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod
    edited August 2024

    @Jack62 since I've never seen one here, I don't know. However on other sites and apps I have encountered them, and the guaranteed way to tell is when it fails a Turing test. Sometimes it's quite easy to tell becaus they are so badly written or programmed, sometimes it's a bit harder.

    On this site a virtually blank profile, which isn't rare, conveys so little information that you can't possibly say anything about who's behind it. However I believe most of these accounts are people who created an account to see what CC was about, then left almost at once.

    I have observed that this site has astonishingly good security for an operation of this site and type. I mean really remarkable. Anti-bot measures seem to be be part of that.

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    I have noted people ---turning off accounts--only to come back as a new person--usually in a discussion topic --I always found their reinvention somewhat humorous and not clever

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne
    edited August 2024

    Some people have such a questionable reputation, they just want a fresh start.
    If they weren’t banned, why is that funny? (I don’t think it’s illegal but maybe I’m wrong?)
    I don’t personally have an issue with it. But not much shocks me anymore.
    Everyone here is basically a stranger - you don’t know if anything anyone says is even true People are anonymous here unless they actually meet someone for a cuddle, and even then you don’t know if what they tell you is true or not..
    You do your own thing your own way. I kind of don’t trust much of anything here except for the ones I’ve met in person Or have gotten to know quite well through messaging and phone calls.

  • [Deleted User]MaverickLegend (deleted user)

  • MorpheusMorpheus

    It’s been suggested that either site ownership or certain pros have made fake accounts with high rates in hopes of making the overall hourly rate rise. I think that’s actually far more possible than making fake accounts in certain areas just to give the impression of a wider geographic member base.

  • cancellationcancellation

    Pat Benatar likes the Stranger Danger . :)

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    I have no evidence of dubious professionals creating extra accounts to try and boost local rates, but now you mention it I'm sure it's happened. It can't be widespread because they have to give credit card details.

    The site itself definitely doesn't do it. They are a very small, very competent team, and if they were daft enough to put their very limited resources into something so silly they'd make an excellent job of it. We wouldn't know. Except that we would, because there's plenty of people here who spend plenty of time wandering around the site and it would soon become obvious to us. (For example I and others have done specific research on certain aspects of the community, mostly for our own interest.)

  • starrynitecudsstarrynitecuds

    Curious about pros being identified by the site. Do they have to provide an official/government photo ID card to become a pro?

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    No, but they do have to provide a credit card.

  • starrynitecudsstarrynitecuds

    Do they have to show the site an actual photo of their credit card with their first/last names on it? (Which, of course, the name listed has to match the name they give to the site.)
    No? Then the scenario @Morpheus mentioned is more probable than initially thought.
    Reloadable credit cards, which don't require a name or registration, can be bought at hardware stores and grocery stores and even dollar stores here in the US.
    They are often used by people who can't afford a bank or can't open an account due to previous problems.
    It's not rocket science to infer that it would be easy for fake pro profiles to utilize them, especially if the site isn't chatging the card or monitoring expiration dates. (No pro should be able to have an expired card on file.)

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod
    edited August 2024

    From the terms of service:

    ... Cuddle Comfort cannot and does not assure that it is safe for you to have direct contact with other users of this Website ...

    ... We do not endorse nor check the credibility or authenticity of any members, including those who are labeled as 'Professional'. You should therefore always exercise due diligence independent of this website to satisfy your own peace of mind in regards to safety ...

  • GaryGary Mod

    I can categorically say we do not have any fake accounts or profiles setup by us. There are tools in place which monitor scammer and fake bot accounts. It's not perfect, so sometimes those profiles slip through and are spotted - but we continuously evolve our methods to detect these accounts which helps prevent victims from being scammed. Those accounts and similar profiles that re-join will be banned.

    For professional accounts and hourly rate - there isn't any conspiracy to increase the rates. Though there is an unfortunate direction where rates are increasing due economic pressures and market value, this is largely beyond our control. I've been gently encouraging ways for improved rate consideration, as I believe it's beneficial this therapy is available to everyone. Lower rates help achieve that, as it becomes more accessible. Though I understand that's not always practical, as everyone has their own expectations and financial needs. Rates can also vary widely from different locations that are more expensive area to live in.

    I've also seen it mention that we push people to go pro - that isn't true either. The site's roots was built on enthusiasts and part of it's core foundation. The professional aspect naturally evolved over time due to demand and as a way to support the site's continued development and growth. If we notice an account may look like they are charging, then they will need a professional account and be asked. That's the extent of us "pushing" people to go pro - it's only fair to those who see them in search expecting an enthusiast but later surprised payment is expected. Both compliment the site and contribute in different ways, though there is a special place in nurturing where the website was born.

  • [Deleted User]WriterGF (deleted user)

    @starrynitecuds The site isn't charging the cards? Then how do they collect their 15%?

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    Thank you @Gary. Everything you do is greatly appreciated.

  • FalcoFalco

    @WriterGF If a pro is asking a very high price without Karma, I hardly believe anybody is booking. No booking, no charging (if I recall correctly, only men pro are required to pay even if they don't have bookings). But when you see two profiles with one having half the hourly rate of the other, you can make someone think "I'll try with the cheaper".

    What the site admins could do to counteract on this? Asking those with high rates to lower them until they do the first meeting? And should it be fair?

  • [Deleted User]WriterGF (deleted user)

    @Falco I have spoken to a few pros who charge a lot. The ones getting no business eventually lower their prices. You can only charge what the market will bear and that varies from place to place. And some high-priced pros purposely set their fees high because they only want a few clients.

    I doubt very much the site can dictate prices since the pros do not work for the site. And they would have to be mindful of the cost of living in dozens of different places in order to do that.

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    @Falco the site has nothing to do with professionals' rates. Cuddle Comfort is a social networking site. Facebook don't set the prices on ads you see on Facebook: the business placing the advert does. CC works the same way.

    Men and women professionals have different fee structures, due the very different nature of the businesses. It is not the case that one costs more than the other: they are just different.

    Anecdotal evidence suggests that if there is a correlation between professional rate and the quality of the session, that correlation is small and negative. That is, lower priced professionals may be tend on average to be slightly better than higher priced, but the difference is small and only one factor amongst many.

    It is indeed the case that the higher the rate, the fewer clients the professional will have. Some professionals temporarily set artificially high rates to deter booking requests while keeping their accounts live, for one reason or another.

  • OverTheMooonOverTheMooon

    I don't think they're faking activity. Especially when the 'bots' don't respond, or when they're 10 years old. If anything, that hurts image.
    They'd have to generate ai pictures of people too, I guess. If you think someone's a bot or scam, it's always an option to reverse image search.
    And finally, people already have to have accounts here before they can even see these 'fake' profiles.

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