Spot the Fakes: How to Avoid Influencer Scams & Find the Real Deal

Ever thought that a massive following might not always translate to real influence?

Before diving into influencer marketing, it’s important to understand that not every influencer with a large following can actually influence your target audience. Some of these big accounts may have fake followers, scamming their way into brand deals without making a real impact in the market.

The numbers at the top of a social media profile are not the only qualifications to consider when choosing the right influencer for your campaign. These figures—follower count and view count—are merely vanity metrics. They don’t necessarily reveal how persuasive an influencer is for your specific brand.

But don’t worry—we’ll help you steer clear of fake influencers! In this article, we’ll share tips on how to spot fake influencers so you can avoid wasting your marketing budget.

Red Flags That Scream “Fake Influencer”

1. Suspicious Follower Growth 

Real influencers grow their following gradually, setting them apart from profiles with fake followers. Accounts with fake followers often show erratic follower counts, with sudden jumps—like gaining 10,000 followers overnight—without any viral content to justify the spike.

Authentic influencers, on the other hand, build their audience steadily by producing consistent, relevant content and maintaining genuine engagement with their followers. Sudden spikes in profile metrics are usually a red flag that the account has purchased followers, revealing a lack of true reach and influence despite the inflated numbers.

How to Verify the Authenticity of the Follower Count:
To check the authenticity of a profile’s follower count, you can use tools such as Social Blade, Modash, HypeAuditor to track a social media account’s follower growth. If the pattern resembles a rollercoaster with big spikes and sudden drops, they’re likely buying followers. Compare their growth to industry averages in their niche to see if it aligns.

2. Very Low Engagement For Their Follower Count

Large followings are common, but authentic influencers have engagement metrics that reflect real interaction. In other words, high-quality influencers tend to have a strong engagement rate on their posts. If an account with large following has low real interaction on its page, that’s a very clear indication that a social media account may not be what it seems. Influencers with a 100K-follower account with very low (think 30 likes and two very generic “nice” comments) engagement are an example.

This matters because engagement is a key indicator of a KOL’s (Key Opinion Leader’s) actual influence. A large following with little engagement usually means that their audience isn’t real or genuinely interested in their content.

How to Check if Their Engagement Rates Make Sense:

Verifying the authenticity of a social media profile based on post engagement is fairly straightforward. For accuracy, ensure that the engagement rate (likes, comments, shares, and saves compared to follower count) falls within the typical range of 1–5%. Anything significantly lower could be a red flag.

3. Comment Section is Filled With Bot Comments

A comment section full of bot-like responses is a strong indicator of a fake influencer. Bot comments are easy to spot and can reveal a lack of genuine engagement. To assess the authenticity of the interactions, review the comments to see if they are meaningful or seem to have been generated by bots. Bot comments tend to be generic, spammy, and often irrelevant to the content.

If their posts are filled with comments such as:

• “Nice! 👍”
• “Amen! 👏”
• “DM us to collab! 😍”

… It’s likely the influencer is purchasing engagement from third-party services to boost their online credibility.

Real influencers, on the other hand, have a loyal and engaged audience. Their comment sections contain meaningful interactions, questions, and conversations that are relevant to the content. 

How to Check the Authenticity of Their Engagements:
Scroll through their posts and observe the engagement. Genuine replies (such as inside jokes, real conversations, and thoughtful feedback) take the form of authentic dialogue that aligns with the content of the post. Bot comments, on the other hand, often seem random and rarely relate to the content.

You can also click on a few commenter profiles to verify their authenticity. If the profiles are generic, have no posts, display unusual follower or following counts, or appear spammy, they are likely fake.

4. Unmatched Audience Quality 

An influencer who brands themselves as "the go-to beauty guru" but has a follower base mostly consisting of unlikely audiences (like middle-aged men or random profile pictures from various countries) should raise concerns before considering a collaboration.

Brands must ensure their message reaches the appropriate audience. If an influencer's audience doesn’t align with your brand's niche, your marketing efforts are likely to be ineffective.

How to Check for Fake Followers:
Use audience analytics tools like HypeAuditor to verify an influencer's audience demographics. Look for mismatched geographies, suspiciously high numbers of followers from non-target markets, and unusual audience interests. If their followers don’t align with their niche, they are most likely purchased through a third-party app and aren’t real social media users.

5. Low-Quality Content (a.k.a. Zero Effort) 

If their content appears pixelated, repetitive, or lacks effort, it's likely they’re not a true influencer. Genuine influencers dedicate time and resources to building their personal brand, investing in high-quality visuals and valuable content. Posts that seem rushed or low-effort often indicate that the individual is more focused on making quick money than on cultivating real influence.

How to Analyze Content Quality:
Take a look at their video views, captions, and overall brand presentation. You can often spot the effort right away through a consistent theme or well-structured content layout. On the other hand, random and disconnected content might make the page feel sloppy or unplanned. However, it’s important to evaluate these cases carefully, as some influencers intentionally create content that appears chaotic or random (more popular with Gen Z creators). The key is to review their posts and see if a recurring theme or concept ties everything together.

You can also compare their content with that of leading figures in the same niche. Authentic influencers tend to produce content that stands out while remaining aligned with their brand values.

Let Influencer Circle Do the Heavy Lifting for You!

Sorting through endless influencer profiles, checking engagement metrics, and trying to spot fake profiles can be exhausting. Partner with PurpleBug’s Influencer Circle to connect with the best influencers for your campaigns.

At Influencer Circle, we match brands with authentic, high-performing influencers who deliver real results. Our team handles the deep dive research, so you don’t have to worry about fake followers or bot engagement.

Build connections through responsible influence. Make influencer marketing work for you—the right way. Visit the PurpleBug Influencer Circle page and learn more about the expertly curated influencer marketing solutions we can offer you.