Instagram: How to buy followers

My latest post wey I put for Instgram neva reach one hour and e don already get more dan 1,000 likes.

I dey really proud of di foto - na di spaghetti wey I bin chop for lunch - wey dem take from up wit filter, and now, like play e don sharply turn to my most popular Instagram post ever.

But di truth be say, na just three out of di 1,003 likes from real pipo. Di remaining 1,000 na fake.

I bin get di fake likes from one guy wey dem dey call Dries Depoorter - im na artists from Belgium wey dey use technology make art.

Im latest installation name na Quick Fix - di machine dey share Instagram likes and followers straight to your account wen you pay some Euros.

"In short, I get thousands of fake accounts, and dem fit follow you and like your latest post," im tell me.

"Wetin you suppose learn from dis be say, di numbers wey you dey see no dey always dey real."

Di fakers

Dries dey create di fake account and likes as part of im modern art -im no dy do am for moni. But plenti oda pipo dey do am for moni.

All ova di internet, big business industry dey for fake Instagram popularity.

Quick search for Google go show plenti sites wey wan give you as many followers and likes as you dey ready to pay for.

I find 1,000 new followers for sale from $10 to $15.

And dat na problem for di multi-billion dollar industry of influencer market wey don explode for platforms like Instagram.

Major companies dey pay plenti moni to pipo for instagram wey dey influential to promote dia market to dia followers.

Di question na weda dem dey waste dia moni if some of di followers no dey real.

"We find say about 20-30% of influencers dey artificially increase dia number in different ways, wheda by buying fake followers, fake likes, comments or even strory view" na so researcher and developer for IG Audit, Andrew Hogue tok.

Make me influencer

I discover di world of Istagram fakers try to become influencer mysef for Business Daily on the BBC World Service.

For advice I go meet Hary Hugo, im na di co-founder of Goat, influencer marketing company for London wey dey match business wit influencers.

"You dey look for at least about 5,000 followers minimum, im tok.

Influencers wit millions of followers fit command tens of thousands of dollars from just one post, but even di ones wit small followers wey dey for special market say dem sef dey make moni from am - me I wan see how esay wey e go be.

"Wit 5,000 followers you go begin get invitation to events for free. And occassionaly you fit get £50-100 per post."

Harry suggest say make I find special market and make all my posts be about dat market.

As we dey go through di Instagram account wey I don already get we decide to focus on pasta. I dey like chop am, I like to cook am for house, and Harry tell me say, e fit be attractive market for food companies.

So I come set up new account, @londonpastaguy, come begin post.

At first na small progress - few likes from odas wey dey Instgram pasta community, and some follow from colleagues and friends wey just pity me.

But e bin slow well well.

"You need to dey active," na so Harry from Goat tell me. "You need to build brand. You need to dey build business. E no go jsut work just becos you snap ya finger - you reaaly need to spend hours."

Fake am

But for pipo wey no want to work plenti hour, shortcuts dey.

Na just few minutes e take me to find sites wey fit sell me 1,000 followers for $15.

I pay wit credit card, and afta few minutes my phone just dey ping upanda wit notification of new followers - almost immediately i get 500, anoda 300 gradually enta witin some days.

E easy to know di fake profile. na computer dey create dia names and di foto na usually anytin.

Dem get some online tools like Andrew Hogue IG Audit wey you fit use technology fish dem out.

but oga Hogue say di fakery don dey dey more sophisticated.

Some services now dey provide space for engagement wey dem dey call "engagement pod" - here group of influencers dey like and comment on each oda post in order to make dem look more popular.

At least one website dey provide dis process if you pay fees evri month. So even if di profile dey real, di comments dey fake as na computer dey create dem.

To buy or sell fake account na crime for Instagram term and conditions.

I ask Instagram like how many profiles dey fake, but dem no tell me. But dem tok sha say, dem dey block millions of accounts and dem go continue to identify and remove fake followers, likes and comments.

Di two Business Daily radio programmes on this wey follow dis tori dey available via di BBC Sounds website and app, by clicking here for part one and here for part two.