Facebook users warned against buying 'likes' from Indian click farms to boost popularity
A fast way to get more 'likes' for a Facebook page is to buy them from so-called click farms in India, but social media experts warn that paid popularity can be perilous.
The social networking site does not allow fake accounts, so those selling fake likes often try to do so discreetly.
"There are a lot of different companies, a lot of them are based in India which essentially work to just build Facebook and Twitter accounts and the like," said Matthew Cox, a strategic consultant at Dialogue Consulting.
"You can pay them however much money they require and they will just get those accounts to follow you."
Delhi click farm operator Rahul (not his real name) said his clients included politicians, celebrities, artists and businessmen.
Rahul said his click farm was a completely automated system and not a room full of people frantically tapping their computer mouse on multiple Facebook pages.
"The 'likes' are done with the help of a server," he said.
"We create them through programs but all the profiles are just for show. You can go to a profile and check it out and all the photos and the videos are fake."
Rahul charges one rupee per like, and can generate up to 15,000 clicks a day.
For $300, in 24 hours a person or company could be significantly more popular online than they were the day before.
Rahul is an IT professional by day and runs his click farm business on the side.
He said three days of generating fake 'likes' earned him the equivalent of a month's salary from his official job.
"It is totally wrong. Basically, I just do this to make money."
Tony Abbott denies paying for Facebook popularity
PHOTO: Tony Abbott has seen a surge in Facebook likes since meeting his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.(Twitter: @narendramodi)
It was revealed this week that the highest proportion of Tony Abbott's 396,000 Facebook followers are based in New Delhi, sparking accusations the Australian Prime Minister had paid for them.
Mr Abbott's office denied that was the case, saying that his popularity on the subcontinent was due to his close relationship with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, who has 25 million Facebook followers.
"It is no secret that the Prime Minister hosted a number of world leaders in recent times, including Indian prime minister Narendra Modi," it said in a statement.
"These visits attracted large international audiences to the Prime Minister's social media channels, thus generating a spike in organic engagement with the page."
Dialogue Consulting's Matthew Cox said it would be easy to spot a fake Facebook user.
"They would look basically like a really unused Facebook account, so typically they are often characterised by the fact that they essentially like a whole heap of different things," he said.
He warns paying for popularity has its downsides because Facebook only posts content out to a certain number of a person's followers.
So the more fake friends you have, the fewer real followers see your posts.
"So that content is being pushed out to fake accounts, it is essentially like your content is falling on deaf ears. As a result of having those fake followers, you are essentially sabotaging yourself in the long run."
The social media expert said there was a better way to get more friends online.
"Yeah absolutely, the old-fashioned way. Or I shouldn't say the old-fashioned way - the right way, which is basically just to produce something that people are in essence interested in."
