ZDNet: Fake influencer follower fraud to cost companies $1.3B in 2019. “The scale of fraud in the emerging influencer market is far higher than we realize, according to a new report. Globally, influencer marketing spend is up to $8.5 billion in 2019, and the industry is forecast to hit up to $10 billion in 2020, according to research by Mediakix.”
scams
TechCrunch: Facebook still full of groups trading fake reviews, says consumer group
TechCrunch: Facebook still full of groups trading fake reviews, says consumer group. “Which? says it found more than 55,000 new posts across just nine Facebook groups trading fake reviews in July, which it said were generating hundreds ‘or even thousands’ of posts per day. It points out the true figure is likely to be higher because Facebook caps the number of posts it quantifies at 10,000 (and three of the ten groups had hit that ceiling).”
Beware: Fake Twitter accounts exploit emergencies to spread misinformation (University of California, Irvine)
University of California, Irvine: Beware: Fake Twitter accounts exploit emergencies to spread misinformation. “When earthquakes, firestorms or hurricanes strike, people often turn to Twitter for instant updates from government agencies, news outlets and neighbors. But user beware: networks of automated fake Twitter accounts, or ‘bots,’ exploit exactly these emergency situations to spread propaganda or misinformation, says University of California, Irvine sociology graduate student Richard Gardner.”
CNET: Fake tech-support scams on Twitter could cost you, study warns
CNET: Fake tech-support scams on Twitter could cost you, study warns. “Researchers are warning Twitter users to double-check tech-support accounts before handing over their credit card numbers. A report from cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, published Tuesday, detailed some of the latest ways cybercriminals are using the social media platform to defraud users of their cash.”
New York Times: Facebook Connected Her to a Tattooed Soldier in Iraq. Or So She Thought.
New York Times: Facebook Connected Her to a Tattooed Soldier in Iraq. Or So She Thought.. “While fraud has proliferated on Facebook for years, those running the military romance scams are taking on not only one of the world’s most influential companies, but also the most powerful military — and succeeding. Many scammers operate from their phones in Nigeria and other African nations, working several victims at the same time. In interviews in Nigeria, six men told The New York Times that the love hoaxes were lucrative and low risk.”
CNET: Fake Facebook accounts are already reportedly offering Libra cryptocurrency
CNET: Fake Facebook accounts are already reportedly offering Libra cryptocurrency. “Facebook is already struggling with multiple fake accounts on its own social media platforms that are offering its newly announced cryptocurrency, Libra, The Washington Post reported Monday. Libra isn’t set to launch until the first half of next year, but around a dozen accounts, groups and pages are already on Facebook and Instagram, the report said.”
BBC News: Facebook scam-busting service goes live
BBC News: Facebook scam-busting service goes live. “Scammers are being targeted by a new tool for UK Facebook users that allows the reporting of fake adverts. The feature came about after Martin Lewis, founder of the MoneySavingExpert website, sued over his name and photo being used on fake Facebook adverts.”
