Temu allegedly spent $962 million on fake influencer ads

A recent investigation by Online Risk Labs (ORL) reveals that the Chinese e-commerce platform Temu may have spent up to $962 million on advertisements across Facebook and Instagram in the United Kingdom and the European Union. The spending occurred over a 16-month period ending in April 2024.

The research highlights a significant issue with fraudulent content creators. Out of the top 100 creators promoted by Temu through Meta platforms, 73 are believed to be fake accounts. These profiles often use AI-generated content or inconsistent identities to mimic real influencers. For example, one Instagram account with 183,000 followers used AI-generated video content and displayed conflicting location and contact information across different social media platforms.