009: Bots, Lies & Billions: Inside the Great Social Media Scam (with Guest Sarah Perkins)

Bots, Lies & Billions: Inside the Great Social Media Scam (with Guest Sarah Perkins) Host: Kristina Braly – physician, skeptic, and unfiltered guide through the world of corporate scams and social media illusions.

Guest: Sarah Perkins - Talent Manager at Dulcedo

Episode Summary

In this episode, we tackle the “Fake Follower Epidemic” gripping the social media influencer world. From bots and pod engagements to shell accounts, we expose how influencers inflate their metrics while misleading brands and audiences. We also explore how brands lose over $1.3 billion annually to fraudulent social media engagements, and why many say the problem is only getting worse.

Key Topics & Stats

• 55% of Instagram influencers have allegedly engaged in some form of follower or engagement fraud, making it a majority behavior rather than a fringe practice.
• Brands reportedly waste $1.3 billion a year on phony influencer deals with fabricated or bot-driven metrics.
• We discuss bot comments, suspicious spikes in follower counts, and how unscrupulous influencers trick brands into believing they have massive “reach.”
• Real Consequences: Eroded consumer trust, wasted marketing budgets, and a backlash from regulators and social platforms cracking down.

References & Links

• Influencer Marketing Hub – Research on influencer fraud, reporting that 55% of Instagram influencers engaged in deceptive tactics.
• CHEQ: Influencer Fraud Report – Noted that brands lose over $1.3 billion annually to fake followers and bot engagements in influencer campaigns.

Listener Takeaways

• Brands: Scrutinize influencer metrics – watch for unnatural spikes, questionable engagement ratios, or identical comments.
• Consumers: Understand that not all big “followings” are real; be skeptical of perfect sponsor promos.
• Influencers: Authentic growth may be slower, but it builds genuine credibility that “bot illusions” can’t replicate.

Stay Connected

If you loved (or hated) hearing about the underbelly of influencer marketing, drop us a 5-star review, or let’s chat:

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Thanks for listening to “I Call Bullshit” with Kristina Braly.