The Dutch consumer and markets authority ACM has carried out dawn raids on a number of companies running dating websites as part of a campaign against fake profiles.

The users of the dating sites under investigation pay for each message they send, and often they communicate, unknowingly, with fake profiles, the ACM said on Friday.

‘Consumers thus pay a lot of money, but do not get what they were expecting: meeting another person,’ the ACM said.

The ACM said the raids, which took place this week, are part of a larger investigation into the use of fake profiles on dating sites.

The markets watchdog said the aim of the investigation is to find out whether consumers have been misled or if other rules have been broken. In addition, these kinds of dating sites are often used by vulnerable consumers, the agency added.

The ACM will not say which companies are being investigated or when the probe is likely to be completed.

Earlier this month, broadcaster NOS carried out its own research on fake dating site profiles. A reporter who registered without a photograph or further information had 500 emails from prospective dates within a week.