Devumi itself relied on fiction: The company advertised a New York office that did not exist, and Devumi’s founder, German Calas, claimed degrees he had never actually earned. Last summer, Twitter, crediting The Times, stripped tens of millions of suspicious accounts from its users’ follower counts, hoping to stamp out the sale of fakes. “Bots and other fake accounts have been running rampant on social media platforms, often stealing real people’s identities to carry out fraud,” Ms. James said in a statement. Mr. Calas, who now lives in Colorado, dissolved his social media marketing companies last summer and fall amid negative publicity. But Ms. James’s investigation could set the stage for further crackdowns on rampant consumer fraud and deceit on social media platforms, where so-called influencers — users with large followings — can earn a significant living selling endorsements and product placements.

Source: New York Times January 31, 2019 00:44 UTC