by Structured Settlement Watchdog
New York’s attorney general has declared it’s illegal to sell fake social media engagement in order to inflate one’s online influence, ruling against one “fake like” merchant in a landmark decision in the battle against bots. It's about time.
“Bots and other fake accounts have been running rampant on social media platforms, often stealing real people’s identities to carry out fraud,” James said in a statement accompanying the decision. “As people and companies like Devumi continue to make a quick buck by lying to honest Americans, my office will continue to find and stop anyone who sells online deception. With this settlement, we are sending a clear message that anyone profiting off of deception and impersonation is breaking the law and will be held accountable.” Letitia James, New York Attorney General
Devumi and its affiliates made $15 million selling fake followers, “likes,” views, and other social media engagement from 2015 to 2017, activity that was generated by a stable of 3.5 million bots and “sock puppets” – one person operating multiple accounts. Some of the fake accounts copied the identities of real people, including their photos, and may have deceived Devumi’s customers into believing they were buying engagement with actual humans, the decision said.
The company also sold endorsements from social media “influencers” without disclosing that they were paid for. This aspect particularly troubled James, who noted that “the opinions of influencers can have particularly strong influence over the reputation and sales for any product, company, service or person they endorse.”
Mt. Airy Faker David Springer, a Mt Airy MD based father of two, wrote a Rip Off Report incriminating David Springer on August 28, 2016 in which he complained of getting ripped off by a bot vendor of fake social media at traffic-bots.com. The appalling Mt. Airy Faker wrote "Radu Laurian Dumitrache - Traffic-Bots.com - Thieves & Con Artists Radu Dumitrache got me To) wire US$3k to his personal bank account. His software doesn't work and now he won't return my calls".
David Springer was a executive, formerly associated with what a Federal judge after trial referred to as a purported entity Sovereign Funding Group, a former purported buyer of structured settlement payments, whose devious use of fictitious creations (as I have well documented) endorsed each other on the professional website LinkedIn and resided on Facebook and Google Plus. Springer's scam was exposed when his fictitious characters were summoned for depositions in a Maryland lawsuit where Springer was the losing Defendant. Springer had to admit his deception. Springer declared bankruptcy to avoid paying the judgment in 2015. David Springer's current Twitter account shows 77 total tweets, He Follows 37, but has 1,141 Followers and 2,743 likes. You would think he was the Second Coming with those ratios. But most of what Springer has tweeted about is unremarkable. Hmmm...
Mt Airy Faker David Springer, with Sovereign Funding, and other Marylanders associated with Einstein Structured Settlements, made use of paid actresses from Fiverr to promote their businesses holding them out as real customers. One bogus still published ad held out David Springer as a lawyer ( which featured in Springer's 2014 trial), a dubious feat "emulated" by the reprobates in charge of Einstein Structured Settlements.
David Springer has a history of rewriting the timelines of his professional history. Springer has attempted to hide his sordid business activities with the judicially found "purported company" Sovereign Funding Group and other activities earlier in his career. Here is the BBB record for Sovereign from March 6, 2012 an accredited since 2003. It is listed as a sole proprietorship and that David Springer as its President.
What its says on Springer's Linkedin profile in 2019, bears little resemblance to what it said in the myriad of other versions. The problem is that you can't whitewash a court record and the record of the lawsuits against Springer which he lost and are available on pacer.gov as well as my extensive commentary.
Comments and Trackback Policy