FAIRFAX Media’s analysis of leaked Ashley Madison data has been labelled unreliable by a top web statistician.
On Wednesday The Guardian reported on an interactive map created by the leading media organisation, which showed 357 accounts linked to the Swan Hill postcode (3585).
But founder of Australian statistics website NationMaster Luke Metcalfe, said this figure did not factor in the existence of fake accounts, duplicated accounts or dummy data from users in other locations trying to cover their tracks.
“It’s certainly not accurate to say there are 357 [Ashley Madison] accounts in Swan Hill,” Mr Metcalfe said.
NationMaster’s analysis of the cheating website’s credit card logs uncovered transactions from nine separate credit cards registered under the 3585 postcode.
According to Mr Metcalfe, the nine paid accounts offer a more authentic reflection of local cheaters.
Ashley Madison required all visitors to the site to submit various details including an email address and postcode, but Mr Metcalfe said the data mined by his site exposed a “serious show of intent”, because the only way to contact other Ashley Madison users was by supplying credit card details.
It is unlikely any action ever eventuated for the nine local users however, as the infidelity website boasted more than five times more male accounts than female.
“There were not a lot of people having affairs on the site,” Mr Metcalfe said.
“Swan Hill residents can be reassured there’s a lot of people saying these guys didn’t end up getting what they paid for.”
