A recent study on Instagram influencers in Singapore reveals that over 47% are using artificial methods to inflate statistics on the social network. The study was conducted by HypeAuditor, an AI-powered Instagram analytics tool which tracked the most common sorts of fraud including inauthentic comments as well as the buying of followers and likes.

HypeAuditor pegged the number of Instagram users in Singapore at over 1.9 million accounting for 33% of the population. When it came to influencers, nearly 60% were micro-influencers or mid-tier influencers – those with a follower base of between 5,000 and 20,000. Combined with nano-influencers who had between 1,000 to 5,000 followers, the groups accounted for almost 85% of the influencer universe in Singapore.

Buying followers was the most significant source of fraud, affecting over 55% of micro and nano-influencers. HypeAuditor CEO Alex Frolov said: “Over 17% of Instagram influencers artificially inflate their comments. That is why most comments look inauthentic and spammy. About 9.9% use comment pods – a group of Instagrammers who work together to enhance the engagement on their posts. They engage with each other, liking and writing comments on other pod members.

“Budgets for influencer campaigns will certainly increase but brands should remember that influencer marketing without the proper checks and transparency will not work. Large numbers of followers can be fake.”

The full report can be found here.