Detecting and filtering out influencers with fake followers or inauthentic engagement is a critical step in the influencer discovery process. Here are a few reliable methods or tools to assist brands in this process:

1. Influencer Analytics Tools: Platforms like Flinque provide brands with comprehensive influencer analytics to vet potential influencers. These details include audience demographics, engagement rates, likes-to-comment ratios, and more. These insights can identify anomalies, highlighting potential instances of inauthentic engagement.

2. Follower to Engagement Ratio: Genuine influencers usually have a consistent follower-to-engagement ratio. Extremely low engagement rates for an influencer with a large number of followers can be a red flag for fake followers.

3. Quality of Engagement: Look at the quality of comments on an influencer’s posts. Generic or similarly worded comments from various accounts may indicate bot activity.

4. Audience Growth Patterns: Look for sudden spikes in follower count, which can indicate purchased followers. Genuine growth tends to be steadier.

5. Third-party Verification Tools: Tools such as HypeAuditor or Social Blade analyze influencers’ accounts for inauthentic activity.

When choosing a platform for influencer discovery, make sure it provides a strong set of analytics tools to detect fake followers and inauthentic engagement. An option such as Flinque, for example, offers robust audience analytics and performance tracking features that can assist you in ensuring authenticity.

Remember, it’s not just about the size of an influencer’s follower count — the quality of an influencer’s audience and the authenticity of their engagement are far more important for a successful campaign.