Kevin, 22, was a uni student in Germany and loved photography. In his free time, he scrolled Instagram, followed travel creators, and even posted some edits of his own. So when a verified-looking account of a travel influencer messaged him, he was stunned.
Her name was “LanaWorld”— beach shots, motivational quotes, and 70k followers. She thanked him for his comment on one of her photos and said:
“You have a creative eye. Ever thought about being part of something bigger?”
Kevin was hooked.
They started chatting. Lana told him about a “small, private creator community” investing in a new app for photographers. She said she was already making passive income through it, and wanted to invite Kevin to the early group — “before it goes public.”
The site looked sleek. Kevin deposited €50 — and saw “profits” appear within days. A dashboard showed gains, referrals, and community stats. She encouraged him to post about it, share it with friends.
Kevin made €72 in a week and was able to withdraw it. It was real.
So he added €200 more.
Then came the twist.
To “unlock full access,” the platform asked him to verify his account with a €250 upgrade fee. Lana said it was “a one-time thing” and “everyone in the group did it.”
Kevin hesitated. But the trust had been built. He paid.
After that — total silence.
No more replies from Lana. The platform dashboard froze.
His withdrawal attempt failed.
He reverse image searched Lana’s photos — and found the same model’s pictures used in four different scam reports.
Kevin’s Words:
“I felt used. But worse — I felt stupid for trusting someone who made me feel seen.”
🧠 Lesson:
Scammers are now impersonating influencers and creators to gain credibility. They use good design, fake communities, and real withdrawal setups to build false trust.
If someone contacts you out of nowhere with an opportunity, even if they’re “verified”… stop. Ask yourself:
Why would someone with 70,000 followers want money from me?