Coming February 2026Trust & Authenticity

The Fake Follower Problem: 2026 State of Influencer Fraud

A comprehensive analysis of fake followers and engagement fraud across 100,000+ influencer accounts on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Discover how much of the influencer economy is built on lies.

Expected: February 2026100,000+ accounts analyzed20+ page report

Research in Progress

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Preview Outline

What This Study Will Cover

The influencer marketing industry is projected to reach $22 billion in 2025, but how much of that is built on fraudulent metrics? This study will analyze over 100,000 influencer accounts to answer the questions marketers are afraid to ask.

Questions We'll Answer

What percentage of followers are fake across major platforms?

Which influencer tiers (nano, micro, macro, mega) have the highest fraud rates?

Which niches have the most inflated metrics?

How does engagement quality differ from engagement quantity?

What signals indicate an account has fake followers?

How much money are brands wasting on fraudulent partnerships?

Methodology Preview

Sample Size

100,000+ influencer accounts
3 platforms: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
All follower tiers represented
Multiple content niches

Analysis Signals

Follower-to-engagement ratios
Engagement pattern analysis
Growth rate anomalies
Comment quality scoring

Why This Research Matters

Brands spend billions on influencer marketing, often based on vanity metrics that can be easily manipulated. Fake followers, bought engagement, and bot comments waste marketing budgets and undermine trust in the entire creator economy.

This study will provide marketers with the data they need to make better decisions — and give honest creators ammunition to differentiate themselves from fraudsters.