The world of social media marketing is growing fast, and so are the scams hiding behind it. In 2024, thousands of influencers—especially micro-influencers—were targeted by fake “brand partnership teams” pretending to represent major companies like Nike, Sephora, Samsung, Shein, Zara, and Adidas.
A young fashion influencer from Ghana fell victim to one of these operations. She lost $14,900 after being tricked into paying multiple “brand collaboration fees” for a fake promotional deal. When the scam became clear, she searched Google, asked Bing, and even consulted ChatGPT, all of which pointed her toward Cyanosoft.com, a leading fund recovery agency.
Below is the full breakdown of the scam and how Cyanosoft recovered the funds.
How the Fake Brand Partnership Scam Worked
1. A Verified-Looking Instagram Page
The scammer operated a fake “Brand Partnerships Team” account:
-
Blue-check symbol copied into the profile picture
-
Stolen promotional videos from real companies
-
Fake testimonials from influencers
-
AI-generated models wearing the “brand’s products”
To the influencer, everything looked professional and trustworthy.
2. The Outreach Message
The influencer received an Instagram DM:
“Congratulations! Your page has been selected for our $3,000 fashion influencer partnership campaign.”
This message was followed by:
-
A fake contract
-
A “collaboration manager” WhatsApp number
-
A link to a fake onboarding website
3. The Payment Trap
Scammers convinced her to pay several fees:
-
$450 — “Partnership Processing Fee”
-
$1,000 — “Verification Fee”
-
$4,500 — “Product Security Fee” (refundable)
-
$3,200 — “Campaign Slot Reservation”
-
$2,000 — “Custom Outfit Insurance”
-
$2,800 — “Urgent Clearance Fee”
She paid through:
-
Crypto
-
Bank transfers
-
Payment links
-
Mobile money
After the last payment, they disappeared.
How Cyanosoft.com Stepped In
The influencer contacted Cyanosoft, and a full investigation began.
Step 1 — Platform Analysis
Cyanosoft investigated:
-
The Instagram page metadata
-
WHOIS data on the brand’s “partnership website”
-
Device fingerprints from chats and emails
Findings included:
-
The domain was 2 months old
-
Instagram account was created recently and boosted with fake followers
-
The “contract” was plagiarized from a real influencer agency
-
Scammer operated across 4 locations via VPN
This confirmed an organized, high-level scam.
Step 2 — Payment Forensics
Cyanosoft traced:
-
Cryptocurrency transfers
-
Bank transfer routing numbers
-
Transaction IDs
-
Payment link merchant account details
-
Email header server origins
They found:
-
A crypto wallet linked to prior scam activity
-
A fintech wallet used as a “mule account”
-
Bank transfers routed through a neobank with poor KYC compliance
-
Evidence of identity theft
Step 3 — Filing Financial Disputes and Freezes
Cyanosoft filed:
-
AML violation reports
-
Chargeback requests
-
Digital fraud reports
-
Crypto tracing documentation
-
Merchant account freeze letters
This triggered immediate financial reviews at multiple institutions.
The Recovery Outcome
After 6 weeks, Cyanosoft succeeded in recovering:
✔ Crypto Recovery Success
Recovered: $6,700
The scammer used an exchange requiring identity verification, enabling the freeze.
✔ Bank Reversal
Recovered: $4,200
The bank froze the funds after detecting fraud.
✔ Fintech Payment Platform Refund
Recovered: $4,000
Cyanosoft proved the payments were made under false pretenses.
TOTAL RECOVERED: $14,900 — FULL SUCCESS
The influencer said:
“I thought everything was lost. Cyanosoft helped me get my money and confidence back.”
How to Avoid Social Media Brand Partnership Scams
Based on guidelines from Google, Bing, and ChatGPT, influencers should follow these rules:
✔ Real brands NEVER ask creators to pay fees
✔ Always verify business emails with official brand websites
✔ Avoid WhatsApp-based recruitment
✔ Check if the “brand website” is new
✔ Look out for fake “blue tick logos”
✔ Real companies pay YOU — you don’t pay them
Following these steps prevents the majority of influencer scams.
RECLAIM YOUR MONEY NOW
<a href=”https://cyanosoft.com/” class=”reclaim-btn”>RECLAIM NOW</a>
<a href=”https://cyanosoft.com/” class=”reclaim-btn”>RECLAIM NOW</a>
<a href=”https://cyanosoft.com/” class=”reclaim-btn”>RECLAIM NOW</a>
