What are spam accounts on social media?
Spam accounts on social media refer to profiles that exhibit automated, inauthentic behavior and are used for malicious purposes rather than genuine social interactions. These differ from real user accounts in the following ways:
Spam accounts are often completely automated bots rather than profiles operated by real people. They may use AI and algorithms to automatically perform actions like posting content, liking posts, commenting, and following other accounts. Their activity appears robotic in nature compared to real users.
The main purpose of spam accounts is malicious, such as spreading scams, fake information, and malware rather than meaningful engagement. They aim to artificially inflate engagement metrics like followers, views, and likes. Real accounts are used by people for genuine social interaction and networking.
Spam accounts frequently use stock or stolen profile photos instead of real user photos. Their usernames, bios, and posted content often contain repetitive keywords, gibberish, or lack authentic personal details.
These accounts violate platform terms of service through mass automation and coordinated inauthentic behavior. They can get detected and removed by social networks while legitimate users have persistent access to their profiles.
According to a Quora post, across various social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, spam accounts aim to “post fake news, promote scams, or try to connect with you for malicious purposes.” (Source)
Why do spam accounts exist on TikTok?
There are various incentives and motivations behind creating fake accounts on TikTok. One major reason is to inflate follower counts and make accounts seem more popular than they really are. As noted in a Reddit thread, bots will follow accounts to artificially boost follower numbers. This makes account holders feel their audience is growing, potentially encouraging them to create more content.
Scammers also utilize fake accounts to appear more genuine, as explained in an article by Fraud0. By amassing followers through bots, scammers can build credibility and trust before trying to deceive users. Fake accounts allow scammers to execute various social engineering and phishing schemes more successfully.
There are also monetary incentives, as fake accounts can artificially promote content and accounts to game TikTok’s algorithms. By manufacturing engagement through bots, account holders may be able to increase views and traffic, potentially earning more money from ads and sponsorships.
Inflating follower counts
One of the most common reasons behind spam accounts on TikTok is to artificially inflate follower counts and engagement. Spammers will create networks of fake bot accounts that follow each other and like/comment on each other’s content. This makes it appear as if the accounts have more genuine reach and influence than they really do.
According to a Reddit user, “It’s a social media tactic. Inflate users followers so that they think their account is growing, thus making them want to spend more time on the platform” (source).
As reported by Vice, spam accounts can be purchased to artificially boost followers and engagement. “If fake accounts can be used to make a post trend and thus bump it up the algorithm, that might attract the attention of real users, if they’re interested in the content” (source).
Spreading scams and misinformation
One of the most common uses of spam accounts on TikTok is to spread scams, misinformation, and malware. These fake accounts will often pose as legitimate users or businesses in order to trick people into handing over personal information or money.
Some of the most prevalent scams being spread on TikTok include:https://allaboutcookies.org/biggest-tiktok-scams
- Fake verification scams that ask users to provide personal information to “verify” their account
- Romance scams that build trust with users before asking for money
- Scams promoting fake investment opportunities or giveaways
- Scams promoting malware under the guise of “useful apps”
In addition to direct messaging scams, spam accounts also frequently spread misinformation in comments, hashtags, and video captions. This includes false information about elections, public health, financial topics, and more. The goal is to manipulate public opinion or stir up controversy.
TikTok advises users to be wary of unsolicited messages asking for personal information or money. Legitimate businesses will not ask for sensitive information over direct message.https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/avoid-fraudulent-message-attacks-on-tiktok
Artificially promoting content
A common tactic for spam accounts is to artificially promote certain videos or accounts to make them appear more popular than they really are. Spammers will create networks of fake accounts that like, comment on, share, and view specific videos or accounts in order to boost their visibility on TikTok.
For example, a spammer might pay for 1,000 bot accounts to view a specific video repeatedly to inflate its view count. Or the bot accounts might be programmed to leave generic positive comments like “Amazing video!” on certain accounts to make them seem more legitimate.
According to one source, TikTok’s own Promote feature, which claims to get more views for paying users, often relies on spam bot accounts to artificially inflate metrics. Many users feel the Promote feature does not provide real views and is essentially a scam.
By artificially promoting content this way, spammers hope to fool TikTok’s algorithm into recommending their videos and accounts more frequently to real users. This allows their content to gain more natural visibility despite originally being boosted by fake engagement.
Evading bans
One reason people create spam accounts on TikTok is to evade bans and restrictions. TikTok has policies against using multiple accounts to bypass rules or enforcement. However, some persistent spammers try to game the system by creating new accounts after previous ones get banned.
According to TikTok’s Community Guidelines, “If any of your accounts have been banned, or restricted from using some of our features, you can’t just create a new account to get around these restrictions.”1 Despite these rules, users on forums like Reddit report seeing persistent spammers create new accounts after being banned.2
Banned users may create multiple accounts in hopes that some slip through the cracks and avoid detection. The motivation is often to resume activities that got previous accounts restricted or banned, like aggressive self-promotion, harassment, or spreading misinformation.
Astroturfing
One of the primary uses of spam accounts on TikTok is to artificially boost engagement through astroturfing. Astroturfing refers to the practice of making content seem more popular or viral than it really is. Spammers create fake accounts to like, view, follow, and comment on videos and accounts, making them appear to have more activity and a larger audience than they actually do.
This can be used to promote an individual user’s account and make their content seem more popular. It can also be used by brands, political groups, or other organizations to create the illusion of wider public support for their messages. By using networks of fake accounts to mass-engage with content, they hope to boost engagement metrics and get their content seen by more real users.
TikTok’s algorithm heavily factors engagement into deciding which videos to promote in feeds. So astroturfing can be an attempt to game the algorithm and get content shown to more people. According to analysis, there are indications of large-scale astroturfing campaigns happening on TikTok to amplify specific political narratives.
Ads and monetization
One of the main goals of spam accounts on TikTok is to generate ad revenue. TikTok allows creators to monetize their content through its Creator Fund, LIVE subscriptions, tips, and branded content deals. However, these monetization options require accounts to meet certain eligibility criteria like having a sufficient number of real followers. Spammers try to artificially inflate their followers and engagement through fake accounts and activity to meet these thresholds and enable monetization.
According to one post on Black Hat World, the TikTok Creator Fund in particular is notorious for shadowbanning accounts, so spammers may create multiple accounts to game the system (source). By using bots and fake accounts to generate views, likes, comments, and followers, they aim to illegitimately earn money from TikTok’s monetization programs.
In addition to platform monetization, spammers also use prominent hashtags and viral trends to increase the reach of their videos. This enables their accounts to appear alongside legitimate viral content and earn money through associated advertising revenue.
Impersonation
One concerning issue on TikTok is accounts impersonating real people or brands. These fake accounts use someone’s name, image, and likeness to deceive viewers that they are the real person. According to Reddit users, some creators with large followings deal with numerous fake accounts mimicking them [1].
Impersonators may create accounts posing as celebrities, influencers, or businesses. Their intent can range from harmless fan accounts to more malicious goals like defamation or scamming followers. As TikTok explains, impersonation violates their community guidelines and should be reported [2].
To report an impersonating account, go to their profile and select “Report” then “Report account.” Choose “Pretending to be someone” as the reason. TikTok reviews these reports and will remove violating accounts. By reporting impersonators, users can help protect themselves and others from potential harm.
How TikTok fights spam accounts
TikTok is continuously working to detect and remove spam accounts from the platform in order to protect authentic users. According to TikTok’s Community Guidelines, the company removes accounts that “artificially inflate popularity” and “mislead the community”.
Some of the key ways TikTok fights spam include using technology to identify suspicious behavior patterns, allowing users to report spam accounts, banning suspicious devices, and working with experts to stay ahead of new spam tactics. The company claims it removes over 96% of spam accounts before they are even active on TikTok.
TikTok also limits actions like follows and comments for very new accounts as a protective measure. Over time, accounts gain more privileges if they demonstrate legitimate engagement. This throttling prevents spam accounts from immediately abusing the platform.
While TikTok has made major improvements in spam prevention, some users feel more could be done. However, TikTok asserts that fighting spam is an “industry-wide challenge” and they remain committed to ensuring TikTok provides an “authentic, safe, and positive experience” for genuine users.
