Instagram has become a fun little pastime for folks looking to enjoy an entertaining distraction. Scrollers can spend hours finding recipes for edible flower cookies or searching for their latest bucket list destination.
And while there is delightful, informational content, digital ads are seamlessly integrated as well. For example, when ‘pumpkin spice’ season arrives, content may feature the newest fall boots to purchase while walking among the pumpkin patches.
And a business had paid to get that advertisement in there, so they deserve the benefit of their investment. However, there are numerous sneaky maneuvers by other parties aimed at misdirecting users for their own gain. For instance, offering a deep discount on a luxury item or something similar that the user has seen on the platform.
Typically, these offers are sent via direct message. As an expert witness in Instagram, let me share a few DMs digital media fraudsters send:
- Phishing DM’s: Direct messages to a user’s account can claim to be “security” and ask for the user to verify their identity and personal information.
- Lottery Winners: A message with a generic, smiling face congratulates the user on winning a lottery that the user didn’t sign up for. Then asked them to “click the link.”
- Unreal Job Offers: A “recruiter” is offering a big paycheck for easy online work-from-home efforts. They’ll send links to an online application that requests personal information, such as social security numbers and home addresses.
- Bogus Sponsorships: New influencers seeking to boost their page may be misled by a “business” seeking a brand ambassador. These fraudsters may also claim to be a legit company that the influencers would be eager to promote.
Norton posted a listing of online scams used on Instagram.
Instagram is a clever little platform, which is why you have to be smarter to explain it.
The popular social media tool may seem easy to users, but explaining its details to a jury can become complicated quickly. Especially now that Google is indexing it for SEO purposes. This includes the feed, reels, and Threads, all of which are integral to the Instagram experience. There are numerous instances where digital media marketing fraud can arise. As an expert witness for Instagram, I know how to explain the issue, whether it includes DMs, paid, organic ads, or general SEO black hat tactics.
I can also explain common SEO litigation cases involving copyright infringement, domain names, and trademark infringement. Being a professor who teaches SEO course, I can share terms with a jury, such as scraped and duplicate content, which are typical in digital marketing disputes. If digital evidence exists on Instagram, I can help substantiate claims and refute allegations to strengthen an attorney’s digital medica litigation case.
