https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/the-follower-number-means-nothing-new-tool-aims-help-marketers-root-influencer-fraud/1495357
"There are major brands paying some people thousands of pounds for fake influencers to be flown around the world, when they literally have zero influence. Zero. There's more influence in my dog's Instagram page than some of these people that are making full-time living."
GREAT READ :o
Affiliate Managers tend to rely on those numbers ALL THE TIME
Reminds me of certain Webmasters in the Sun people who ran bots across data feeds :-)