A slew of fake accounts with stolen photos have been circulating on X promoting and praising former US President Donald Trump.
A CNN report said these online photos have been stolen by unknown individuals (or groups) to promote Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio.
The fake accounts have reportedly been uncovered by CNN in collaboration with the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), a nonprofit social enterprise seeking to expose human rights abuses.
According to the CNN report, the fake accounts are among 56 profiles on X identified by CNN and CIR, using a mixture of digital sleuthing and reverse image search tools, as appearing to be part of a coordinated campaign backing the Trump-Vance ticket ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
There’s no indication that the Trump campaign is involved, CNN reported.
The case of Luna, a fake influencer
One of these fake accounts is Luna, a self-described 32-year-old “MAGA Trump supporter” from Wisconsin. Luna has gained a huge following since she joined X, formerly Twitter, in March.
But Luna isn’t real and the photos of the smiling brunette posted periodically on @Luna_2K24’s timeline are of Debbie Nederlof, a German fashion influencer who lives across the Atlantic and won’t be voting in the US presidential election in November.
CNN reported that Nederlof is a 32-year-old, a trained optician and single mother who is working two jobs, as a social media manager at an engineering firm and as a model to raise money for her child.
She was also reportedly angry and frustrated that her face was being used to push pro-Trump propaganda on X.
Nederlof is one of 17 real European women — fashion and beauty influencers from the Netherlands, Denmark and as far away as Russia — whose online photos have been stolen by unknown actors to promote Trump, CNN reported.
Experts suspect that this is just the tip of the iceberg and that artificial intelligence (AI) have been used for the said accounts. As of the latest CNN report, X already took down the majority of the accounts.
Rise of fake influencers is a growing problem
The rise of fake influencers– individuals who create a false or inflated online presence to deceive brands and consumers—is indeed a growing problem.
These bogus accounts often use tactics like buying followers, likes, and comments to make themselves appear more popular and influential than they actually are.
Clues to spot a fake influencer
- Inconsistencies in engagement: A sudden surge in followers or engagement, especially without corresponding increases in content quality, can be a red flag.
- Low-quality comments: Generic, repetitive, or irrelevant comments can indicate that they are bought or generated by bots.
- Suspicious follower growth: Rapid and unnatural growth in followers can be a sign of purchased followers.
- Lack of personal connection: Fake influencers often struggle to connect with their audience on a personal level, as their content may feel forced or insincere.
- Excessive hashtags and keywords: Overuse of hashtags and keywords can be a sign of trying to manipulate search algorithms.
The dangers of fake influencers
- Brand damage: Brands that partner with fake influencers risk damaging their reputation and wasting resources.
- Consumer deception: Consumers may be misled into believing that products or services are more popular or effective than they actually are.
- Unfair competition: Fake influencers can give themselves an unfair advantage over genuine influencers who build their followings organically.
To protect yourself from falling victim to fake influencers, it’s important to do your research and be critical of the information you see online. Look for influencers with a genuine connection to their audience and a consistent track record of engagement.
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