An announcement from the 700,000-member site says its team is currently investigating how those 30,000 users got past BeautifulPeople.com's rigid rating system, where existing members vote on whether new applicants are attractive enough to join the site. The ratings system apparently went down last month, allowing anyone to join. The site believes the virus could have been triggered by a former employee.
So far, the site had refunded 4,500 members, costing it somewhere in the region of $112,500.
Could the virus have been a publicity stunt? After all, the site that has been known to indulge in mean-spirited gimmicks. Last year, BeautifulPeople booted out 5,000 members for packing on the pounds. “Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded,” founder Robert Hintze said at the time.
Last June, the dating announced that it would be launching a fertility introduction service that allows both members and non-members to score the stuff that dream babies are made of.
In response to this recent "lapse," the site has set up a hotline to help that rejected 30,000 recover from the incident, and has recruited a special "beauty police" to troll for trolls.
What do you think? Legitimate lapse, or publicity stunt? If you're one of the rejected, feel free to hit us up.