As a brand, how can we check an influencer followers for fake ones?

The fastest gut check is likes versus followers. Anything wildly out of proportion for the niche is worth a second look.

Pull up their follower growth if you can. A clean vertical jump on one date signals a bulk purchase rather than a viral moment.

Run three quick tests on the follower base specifically. Engagement first: divide likes and comments by followers and ask whether the result is believable for that size. A million followers pulling a few hundred likes is bought reach.

Then the comments. Genuine audiences leave specific, on-topic replies. Bought ones leave strings of emoji and copy-paste compliments, frequently in languages that do not match the creator market. Last, look at follower growth over time. Organic accounts climb in a wavy line. A flat history with a sudden cliff-edge jump means a purchase.

Doing this by hand for a whole shortlist is slow. Flinque attaches a fake-follower score to every creator so you get a clean percentage per profile and can drop the padded ones before they reach a contract.

Check where the engaged audience is based. Followers concentrated in countries the creator never posts about are a classic sign of bought reach.