Bluesky closes in on 30M users, but how many are fake?

One internet sleuth has identified a network of fake accounts on Bluesky, which may only be the tip of the ‘spam-as-a-service’ iceberg.

The new, up-and-coming social media platform Bluesky gained notoriety after X users began fleeing the platform to seek refuge in a less toxic environment.

However, toxicity seems to come with the territory, as a wave of predominantly Portuguese and Brazilian spam accounts proliferate on Bluesky.

Data scientist and internet sleuth Conspirador Norteno has demonstrated an influx of spam accounts for hire and followers for sale networks popping up all over the platform.

Norteno identified a specific network on Bluesky that created at least 8,070 Bluesky accounts. These accounts haven’t posted anything on the platform and only follow a select handful of real accounts.

These spam accounts have a specific set of behaviors, making it easy to spot fake users.

As Bluesky approaches 30 million users, people who run spam-for-hire operations are taking note. Here's a look at a network of fake Bluesky accounts associated with a spam operation that provides fake followers for multiple platforms.

cc: @ZellaQuixote pic.twitter.com/uQSkctEzFY

undefined Conspirador Norteño (@conspirator0) January 24, 2025

Spam account behavior

For one, account bios are all either in Brazilian or Portuguese, and many of the biographies are carbon copies of other accounts.

For example, the Portuguese statement, “dem ben com a Vida,” which roughly translates to “good with life,” was used across 139 accounts within the network of fake users.

If these bios are copied exactly, they use generic sayings separated by commas. In certain cases, account biographies would start with two unnecessary commas, followed by a generic statement or emojis.

This is a potential glitch, which indicates that the accounts may have been created by bots or other automated means.

However, this could have been human error, as a human could’ve accidentally double-clicked the comma button while copying and pasting the text, Norteno said.

One telltale sign of a spam account is the stolen profile pictures used, as many, if not all, of these fake profiles use stolen photos, as common amongst scam or spam accounts.

The accounts in this fake follower network use a variety of repeated or otherwise formulaic biographies, some of which are repeated dozens or hundred of times. Some of the biographies begin with unnecessary leading commas, and a few consist entirely of punctuation. pic.twitter.com/4JNuMaZvRy

undefined Conspirador Norteño (@conspirator0) January 24, 2025

Who does the network follow?

While the bogus follower network presents as Brazilian or Portuguese, these followers follow predominantly English accounts and sometimes Greek accounts.

The accounts followed don’t have any real, legitimate followers and seem to have a fanbase made up entirely of spam accounts.

Those accounts with huge numbers of bogus followers are mainly promotional or business accounts, Norteno said.

One account followed by the network, which gained roughly 1100 followers, sells followers and engagement across various platforms, including X, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Telegram.

It’s safe to say that the fake follower network is most likely present across different platforms and is only a facet of the operation’s infrastructure.

In addition to the bulk following, some of the accounts in the fake follower network also repost content here and there. The accounts reposted by the network are mostly Brazilian accounts. pic.twitter.com/hW9ueVqF81

undefined Conspirador Norteño (@conspirator0) January 24, 2025

Who wants fake followers?

While it may seem bizarre to have a social media account comprised of bot followers or spam users, it’s beneficial for those who artificially inflate their business to gain sponsorships or notoriety.

Typically, influencers and businesses on social media set a rate based on their following when it comes to sponsored posts. So, the more followers a person or business has, the more they can charge.

Fake social media accounts could also be used for narrative attacks, which are narratives fueled by misinformation or disinformation that change perceptions about an individual or organization.

This network could also be used to facilitate financial fraud, phishing schemes, and other nefarious online activities.

However, there’s no evidence that this network is doing anything other than artificially inflating social media accounts and creating bogus engagement.