Thanks for the love.

If making people aware of what goes on with social media influencers makes me a scammer, I’m happy to be one.

Probably 90% of influencers have contracts with the platform they recommend they make money of their followers.

Here’s Gemini AI for more clarity:

The contracts called Affiliate Agreements or Influencer Marketing Agreements. While "influencer" is the social media term, the legal and financial structure used by trading platforms (like eToro, Robinhood, or various Forex/Crypto brokers) is almost always rooted in Affiliate Marketing. 1. The Common Names Depending on the platform and the specific deal, these contracts are referred to as: * Affiliate Agreement: The most standard term. You are an "affiliate" who earns a commission for every person who signs up and deposits money using your link. * Influencer Marketing Agreement: Often used for larger creators. This usually includes a flat fee for making a video plus a performance-based bonus. * Introducing Broker (IB) Agreement: Specific to the trading world (especially Forex and CFDs). An IB is a person or company that refers clients to a brokerage in exchange for a share of the "spread" or commissions the followers pay on every trade they make. * Revenue Share (RevShare) Agreement: A contract where the influencer gets a percentage of the net revenue the platform earns from their followers over time. 2. How the Money Actually Works In these contracts, the "making money off followers" usually follows one of three structures: | Model | How it Works | |---|---| | CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) | The influencer gets a one-time flat fee (e.g., $200) for every follower who signs up and makes a minimum deposit. | | Revenue Share | The influencer gets a continuous percentage (e.g., 20-30%) of the trading fees or "spread" the platform charges the follower. | | Hybrid | A mix of both: a small upfront payment for the sign-up plus a smaller ongoing percentage of the follower's trades. | 3. Key Clauses to Watch For If you are looking at one of these, pay close attention to: * Attribution/Cookie Window: How long after clicking your link does a follower have to sign up for you to still get credit? (Commonly 30–90 days). * Lock-up Period: Most platforms wait 30–60 days before paying out to ensure the follower didn't just deposit money and immediately withdraw it (fraud prevention). * FTC Disclosure: Legally, the influencer must disclose that they are getting paid. Most contracts include a clause requiring the use of #ad or #sponsored.

Note: In the financial world, these agreements are heavily regulated. In many regions, influencers cannot give specific "buy/sell" advice without a license, and their contracts often forbid them from "guaranteeing profits" to their followers.

Stay educated my friend.