A online dating site has been accused of using fake profiles to mislead its subscribers, and will face charges before the Federal Court in Perth next month.
The website www.redhotpie.com.au operated by Jetplace Pty Ltd calls itself "Australia’s hottest adult dating and social networking site" and claims it has more than 1,600,000 member listings.

However the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will allege before the court that Jetplace created and published fictional profiles to send flirt and other messages to registered users and that its directors, Mr Mark Semaan and

Mr Maxwell James McGuire, were knowingly a party to the misleading conduct.

Jetplace is alleged to have engaged in misleading conduct by representing that:

• each and every profile was created by a person who came to the site and registered
• any profile identified in a search conducted by a member would be a member created profile, and
• every profile viewable on the website and every message received from a profile provided an opportunity for a member to socialise with, and potentially meet, a member who created that profile or caused the message to be sent when that was not the case.

The ACCC is seeking declarations, injunctions, orders and costs.

A directions hearing, before Justice Gilmour, is due to take on December 10.

The site currently offers free registration, with web cam facilities.