The Rise of Influencer Scams and Scandals

A new Hulu docuseries out on Monday called “The Age of Influence” examines the underbelly of the influencer world, from people who’ve used social media to perpetuate scams and fraud to child abuse happening behind the scenes of a popular kids YouTube channel.

The show, produced by Part2 Pictures for ABC News Studios, looks at lesser known scandals involving social media that haven’t risen to the same level of attention as Fyre Festival or the financial fraud perpetrated by Anna Delvey. The faux heiress in fact makes a cameo in the series to discuss one of the subjects, Danielle Miller, with whom she was jailed on Rikers Island. Other subjects include Jay Mazini, a Muslim creator who branded himself a crypto-prophet but ended up pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering, and a deep-dive into the viral online drama between influencers Emily Gellis and Tanya Zuckerbrot over the F-Factor diet, which encourages eating high-fiber foods, and its apparent side effects.