🤖

Bot networks and fake engagement: faking the crowd

Tactic 4 of 6 · badge: Amplifier · by Trusterity

People trust what looks popular, and so do recommendation algorithms. Fake engagement exploits both.

How it works

Early boost: fake accounts like and share a post in its first hour, so the algorithm treats it as trending.
Fake testimonials: comments like “Got my payout today, thank you!!”, often repeated with tiny changes.
Swarming critics: anyone who questions the post gets mocked by dozens of accounts until they give up.

Big numbers can be bought. Popular doesn't mean true.
Open a few commenters' profiles: recent creation dates, no real photos, the same phrases → a fake crowd.
When a critic is mocked rather than answered, take the critic seriously.

Use this tactic yourself in a 10-minute game — and see how it fools people.