Some of the numbers of “likes” and “shares” you see on Twitter and Facebook may seem too high to be true. They probably are!
Houston Social Media Strategist Brenda Trott says “There are companies that steal social identities of real people and make it look like those people like and share their clients’ products. But there are no actual heartbeats behind those numbers.”
According to the New York Times, companies like Devumi make millions of dollars selling attaching hundreds of thousands of “likes” and “shares” to their clients’ social media accounts. Most of Devumi's customers are selling products, but comedians, actors and pastors are also on the company's client list.
To avoid being one of the fake followers yourself, Trott advises you to stay current on you social accounts. “If your friends ask you if you have opened a new account, because they got a Friend Request from you although you are already friended, you have probably been hacked. Report it.” Picture idea: