Social Media: 10 Pitfalls to Avoid to Avoid Influencer Scams

Product placements by influencers have become commonplace on social media. Ads regularly mask scams: late or no delivery, inflated prices, ineffective products... So much so that a law was passed on June 9, 2023, to regulate this commercial influence activity . Despite this, some influencers continue to promote all kinds of scams .

Since 2019, Audrey Chippaux has been denouncing the deceptive practices of influencers on her Instagram account @vosstarsenrealite and has collaborated with the National Assembly to draft the law regulating their activities. She reminds us of the precautions to take in this lucrative virtual system before making a purchase encouraged by these web stars.

Before making any purchase from a website (whether recommended by an influencer or not), it's essential to check whether the site has a legal notice and whether the company exists. "Checking whether the company is properly identified is essential. If you can't find it, you should definitely not order," says Audrey Chippaux.

Another thing to check is whether the brand has after-sales service in case of a complaint. "This is essential, because if you have a problem, it's not the influencer with millions of followers who will answer you," she notes.

Ratings and reviews left by buyers are generally a guarantee of quality... except that many of them are fake, even though they are highlighted by brands on their sites. It's therefore important to verify the veracity of these reviews. For example, by going directly to the online review site (very often, Trustpilot) and typing in the name of the brand in question. "Don't stop at the rating, but read the reviews over several pages," adds Audrey Chippaux.

Dropshipping products (where the seller only handles the marketing and sales of the product and the supplier handles shipping) are extremely common on social media. The seller usually displays prices much higher than their supplier to make a profit. To check if the product is not being sold on another platform at a lower cost, simply perform a reverse search by saving the product image found on the merchant's website and uploading it to Google Images or directly to the reseller page, such as AliExpress, which offers this option.

Before confirming an order or if you have any doubts about the brand, search its name on social media. "If there have been victims, they will speak out and tell their story," assures the whistleblower.

Since the law of June 9, 2023, the world of commercial influence has been shaken up, and influencers are now more strict about the rules, under penalty of being fined. If they advertise a product and are paid by the brand for doing so, they are required to state this with the words "commercial collaboration," "paid partnership," or "product offered." However, this type of mention by the influencer does not mean that the brand can be trusted blindly.

To encourage a purchase, some people resort to "emergency marketing" and will, for example, advertise extremely attractive promotions (-50%, -70%, up to -80%) or the very low number of products in stock. This is allowed, but often false. This method plays on the fact that people don't want to miss out on a good deal and therefore give in to an impulse purchase. There is also "fear marketing," which "was widely used during the Covid-19 period to sell products related to the epidemic: disinfectant, miracle products, and played on the ambient climate of fear to trigger sales," notes the specialist. If you see this type of tempting promotion, be very vigilant; it's a technique to push you to click and buy.

If you want to save money, avoid certain product categories like dietary supplements , miracle weight-loss products, capsules, teas, or sweat belts. Advertisements on this topic abound, especially with the arrival of summer, but "diet plans and other miracle products don't exist," reminds Audrey Chippaux. These products are often expensive, useless, and sometimes even dangerous for your health.

Online training courses of all kinds sold by influencers have only grown in recent years. Very often, "these courses promise to sell the miracle recipe for going from broke student to millionaire, baiting the internet user with some free content at the beginning, there's a whole marketing campaign that we receive via email, a newsletter, a chat channel, and then we have to buy this training, which is often based on scams or nothing," she warns. Miracle recipes for becoming rich don't exist. To ensure solid training, it's best to go through a certified physical organization.

In line with millionaire training courses, many courses on how to invest in cryptocurrency and boost your investments have sprung up on social media. Be wary of promises of easy profits. "Many scams exist when you are encouraged to invest via social media ads or influencers. It is often impossible to recover your initial investment. Advertising for the provision of services involving digital or crypto assets has also been banned," notes Audrey Chippaux. You can consult the blacklist of unauthorized companies and sites on the website of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF).

Audrey Chippaux, Behind the Filter, an investigation into the system of influence , Leduc company, 19.90 euros.