See what the URL links to and look for strange misspellings.īe wary about what accounts are posting and how often. If you decide to shop on social media, check the account carefully. This is up over 170% from 2016, rising dramatically as Instagram becomes a bigger player in the e-commerce space. Nearly 20% of all posts about fashion products on Instagram feature counterfeit products and more than 50,000 accounts are promoting and selling counterfeit products every day, according to Ghost Data. The end game is to sell illegal counterfeit goods or use a bait-and-switch scam to change the profile topic completely once they have a captive audience. They promise exclusive discounts and freebies, but these fake accounts buy likes and followers and post consistently until their profiles seem like the real deal. Other popular consumer brands like Apple have also been targeted.įind Out: How Much Money You Can Really Make From Social Media What's the Strategy of Fake Brand Accounts? Bags, shoes and clothes are the most commonly faked products with luxury and high-end retailers like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Nike each having dozens of knock-off accounts. Rampant in the fashion industry, imposter brand accounts hawk goods and products across 65 million fake posts a year, according to data analysis firm Ghost Data. Keep reading to see some of the most common hustles and how to protect yourself on social media. In a world where anonymity, bullying and catfishing are common, scams prey on internet users’ sympathy, fear or greed. With over 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram offers up a large, captive audience. With online scams reaching epidemic proportions, Instagram is just the latest channel for fraudsters to make a quick buck.
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