The results showed that between 5% and 40% of social media accounts were fake and set up by spammers and scammers. These “sleeper” accounts, according to the company, are activated remotely to flood a network with messages, after which they will be quickly shut down. The report further notes that this new breed of spam lures victims by promoting popular topics such as electronics, fashion, and even current events and sports.
Mark Risher, chief executive of Impermium, was quoted in the article saying that bulk accounts for popular social networking platforms can now be purchased on the black market for pennies. He pointed out that this type of fraud can negatively affect a company’s ability to “accurately value its user base and determine the actual cost of new customer acquisition.” Risher added that sites need a “flexible approach” that maintains privacy without exposing them to bulk, fake accounts.
The released data forms part of the new Impermium Index which aims to track the types and severity of social spamming on major social media platforms such as Google+, Twitter and Facebook.
