Instagram is a nest of fake giveaways and contests. It is a fact. A few months ago we collected several tricks to avoid scams and scams within the application. Half a year later, most of the practices that we mentioned in the video are still in force in the form of raffles and contests that promise to give away from an iPhone 11 Pro Max to a 15-inch MacBook Pro or an Apple Watch Series 5 . To this is added the proliferation of pages that promise to sell real followers, with figures that can reach up to 10,000 in some cases.
What is the relationship between these two apparently isolated events? What is really hiding behind these fake contests and giveaways? Is there any intention behind these Instagram profiles beyond getting followers? The truth is, yes, and you don't have to dig long to find the answer.
The rules of the giveaway: like, comment, follow another account and share in Stories
From one day to the next we see dozens of accounts mentioned to a profile in the Stories of our Instagram account. We access the information of the same and we see that ten iPhone 11 and five iPad Pro are raffled . After reviewing the rules of the contest we realize that the actions we have to take to participate are quite generous. Too much, in fact.
Most of these profiles tend to upload stolen content to other Instagram accounts or YouTube channels.
"Like the last two photos", "Follow @sorteosfalsos and @ sorteosfalsos2 to participate" or "Mention five friends and upload the photo to your story" are some of the actions that are required to participate in this type of raffle . "What less?", We can come to think, "I can win an iPhone 11 and I do not lose anything . "
Along with the main account, a series of collaborating accounts are usually added to create a network of accounts with the same amount of interaction.
If we dig a little deeper we can see that practically all of these types of profiles lack verification by Instagram , as can be seen in the captures. The reason is more than obvious: they know that they are not complying with the conditions of use of the platform. So what goal are they pursuing?
"Upload the next story", "Share the next image" ... Practice to gain engadgement in Instagram Stories.
Beyond obtaining more or less rapid followers, the main objective of this type of account is to obtain the highest degree of activity possible within their profiles. Preferably likes and comments . Also mentions of their stories. The objective? Have a high percentage of engadgement . Or what is the same, social impact. All to inflate figures and be more attractive in the face of the business behind it: the sale of Instagram profiles.
Fraudulent Profile Sales: The Business of Fake Giveaways
Two or three weeks have elapsed since the draw has been held and we have no news of the draw. Nor do we see any apparent change in the original profile ... Well, yes. It no longer exists . Not at least with the original name.
All profiles associated with the sweepstakes network have disappeared after several weeks.
This is what we have been able to verify after tracking three accounts that simulated raffling various Apple products. Although we do not know the fate of the three profiles, it is very likely that they ended up in the hands of some unsuspecting person. Just do a simple Google search. "Buy Instagram accounts . "
The result? Dozens of web pages that offer accounts with real activity. Some even have a configurator that allows us to select the number of followers. Most of these pages even claim to have real activity and a high degree of engadgement .
Prices can exceed 1,000 euros if we opt for accounts with 1,000 followers or more.
The problem is that this activity is just a mirage: it is neither segmented by public, nor is it real, much less legitimate. To this is added the high price of these packs. 1,000 followers for 1,000 euros (to euro the follower). With discounts if we exceed this amount. In Milanuncios we can see relatively similar figures.
Another parallel business to this consists of what is known as Influencer Marketing . Roughly speaking, it is a marketing practice that draws on an account with a high degree of interaction to offer image and promotion services in the form of a Story, mention or publication towards a specific profile with the aim of generating sales of by-products or services. There is a whole compendium of pages that offer this type of service.
The key to identifying fake sweepstakes: logic (and a few tools)
So is. The key to identifying fraudulent contests is to apply logic at all times. Who is going to give away ten iPhone 11s for their faces if they are not an influencer , a recognized medium or a public figure?
Another key to identifying this type of profile is to use the Socialblade tool, where we can find out in full detail the date of creation of the profile and the statistics associated with it (graph of followers by time, average of comments per publication ...). As a general rule, most accounts do not usually exceed a month old . After all, they are only created with a single objective: to get activity as quickly as possible.
The verification of Instagram is another of the keys to which we can resort. Also to the legal information provided by the profile itself. Does it lack an identifying name? Is it registered in the commercial register? In which country does it operate?
If all the keys are met, the best thing to do is to report the profile posts through the options that Instagram offers within the application. Although what we recommend from tuexperto.com is to report the profile directly . Instagram will likely proceed to shutdown in a few days.