The Million Dollar Matchmaking Scam

Just how much are you willing to shell out to find a mate?

For the young and single seekers, the normal amount you spend on a dinner and drinks or perhaps a movie, is all that it takes. But what if you’re someone who’s been around the block? I mean, you’ve been married for decades and had children and even grandchildren and now divorced or widowed? Will dinner and movie dates be suficient enough?

I reckon it may be difficult to get into the dating scene again. Heck, it’s hard enough for singles to deal with dating, can you imagine how it must feel like for them?

Well, after reading about a widowed grandmother conned into spending $125,000 on a matchmaking scheme, it left me bewildered. I just can’t believe that someone’s willing to spend that much in her search for a mate.

How did it happen? Well, let me share this bit from the article:

Promised the company of affluent, sophisticated men, Ms Majerik signed on. Initially, she paid Ms Hadida $50,000; subsequent payments took that to $125,000.
– Guardian Unlimited Special Reports

Read the rest of the article to learn more on how the scam got discovered and the events that led up to court plus other bits about Orly the Matchmaker. The $2.1 Million award is an unprecedented amount in the history of dating service cases. Other notable cases cited were the ones involving Match.com, Yahoo Personals, and Great Expectations.

This is some crazy dating news. This should teach these companies not to prey on lonely people.

UPDATE: I’ve recently learned that the case was subsequently dismissed. The dismissal documents can be found at www.rankrover.com/orly .