Business

Turkish influencer accuses Maria B of evading payment

Türkan Atay claimed Maria B didn’t meet the demands the two agreed on. Photos: Instagram In posts shared on Instagram on Sunday, Turkish content creator Türkan Atay accused Pakistani clothing brand Maria B for evading payment that the influencer claims the two parties agreed on. Türkan began by mentioning that she shot a reel for

Published

5 months ago

April 26, 2025

News Desk

Türkan Atay claimed Maria B didn’t meet the demands the two agreed on. Photos: Instagram

In posts shared on Instagram on Sunday, Turkish content creator Türkan Atay accused Pakistani clothing brand Maria B for evading payment that the influencer claims the two parties agreed on.

Türkan began by mentioning that she shot a reel for the brand in Istanbul earlier this year and negotiated her terms. “Basically, for shooting in Istanbul, the cost is divided based on the shoot’s location, videography, video editing, and so on. So I gave them a price per outfit. They even agreed to it. I have all the messages,” she said.

Once the video was done, however, Türkan claimed that the brand backtracked by not giving her the discussed amount, prompting her to reach out. “So I said, ‘Look, this isn’t what we talked about. We agreed on a ‘per outfit’ payment. The messages clearly state that.’ They told me, ‘Oh, sorry. There’s been a misunderstanding. We pay international influencers on a ‘per reel’ basis.”

The content creator assured her followers that she was not doing this out of desperation for money but for self-respect. “I’ve been going over this with them for 3 months now,” she said. “The amount isn’t even all that much for you. Just give me my due payment, and I’ll give it to those who deserve it. And I will never collaborate with you again.”

In a follow-up video, Türkan shared screenshots of her communication with the brand’s executives. She claimed that her politeness was only met with disregard. “It’s not about money, it’s about being respectful to the people you collaborate with.”

In response, the official account of Maria B took to Instagram Stories to issue a statement regarding the matter. Priding its transparent partnership with the digital community, the brand said, “Over the years, we have successfully collaborated with hundreds of influencers and content creators, ensuring fair compensation and mutual respect in all engagements. And we are proudly known for our best payment practices. In our 25 years, we have neither withheld payment nor retracted from our commitments.”

The statement added that the recent controversy “was a regrettable misunderstanding that we were committed to resolve.” However, the brand denied the accusation of withholding payment.

“A meeting had been set up to address the issue, but the influencer chose to make a defaming reel instead of accepting to resolve the issue amicably,” the statement further read. “We regret the misunderstanding. We remain committed to supporting the creative community and continuing to build respectful, transparent relationships with all our collaborators.”

Business

The Rise of Fake Reviews: How Nigerian Freelancers Are Spamming New Businesses on Clutch and DesignRush

Published

2 months ago

July 22, 2025

News Desk

The Rise of Fake Reviews: How Nigerian Freelancers Are Spamming New Businesses on Clutch and DesignRush

In the evolving digital economy, online reviews are the new word-of-mouth. Platforms like Clutch and DesignRush have become influential benchmarks for evaluating digital agencies, tech startups, and freelance service providers. However, a growing and concerning trend is emerging—Nigerian freelancers (and in some cases, freelancers from other regions) are actively targeting new or low-profile companies, offering to post fake reviews in exchange for money. This practice is not only unethical but has the potential to distort trust across entire industries.

Understanding the Scheme

Here’s how the cycle typically works:

Targeting New Businesses: Freelancers scour platforms like LinkedIn, Behance, and Dribbble to find newly established digital agencies or freelance studios with little to no online presence on review sites.
Offering Fake Review Services: These freelancers then message business owners, offering to post positive reviews for their companies on reputable platforms like Clutch or DesignRush. Often, they promise verified reviews using fake accounts, spoofed IPs, or even by posing as past clients.
False Uplift in Rankings: Once the fake reviews are posted, these companies artificially climb the rankings, often appearing more reliable or experienced than they actually are.
Market Manipulation: The ecosystem gets distorted. Companies with real clients and legitimate reviews are buried under waves of fake credibility, while potential clients are misled into hiring unqualified or untested service providers.

Why Nigeria?

Nigeria has a thriving gig economy. While many freelancers from the country are honest and talented, a small but growing group is resorting to unethical tactics to generate income. Low local employment rates, high internet penetration, and access to global freelance platforms have created an environment ripe for digital hustling—sometimes at the cost of integrity.

Consequences for the Market

Loss of Trust: Once clients discover the manipulation, trust in platforms like Clutch and DesignRush diminishes. This can push clients to rely on referrals or bypass smaller firms entirely.
Unfair Competition: Small but legitimate businesses that refuse to engage in unethical practices are sidelined. Meanwhile, those who game the system enjoy undeserved visibility and conversions.
Platform Devaluation: When review platforms are flooded with fake data, their purpose—to reflect genuine experiences—is lost. This could eventually reduce traffic, user engagement, and investor trust in these platforms.
Client Disappointment and Market Instability: Clients who rely on fake reviews often find themselves dealing with underqualified vendors. Failed projects mean financial loss and hesitation to re-enter the digital outsourcing market.

What Can Be Done?

Tighter Moderation: Platforms must implement stronger verification methods—such as cross-checking with client emails, IP matching, and even requiring verified project documentation.
Education for Startups: New business owners should be educated about the long-term damage fake reviews can cause to their brand reputation.
Blacklist Unethical Actors: Freelancers offering fake review services should be reported and banned from professional platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn.
Transparency by Platforms: Review platforms should display warning tags or credibility scores to highlight suspicious activity patterns, much like Amazon flags reviews as “Verified Purchase.”

Final Thoughts

The issue of fake reviews may seem like a shortcut for early success, but in the long term, it erodes the very fabric of trust that underpins the digital services economy. While Nigeria is currently under the spotlight for these activities, the problem is not unique to one region. A unified effort from platforms, companies, and freelancers alike is required to clean up this emerging digital black market.

Trust, once lost, is hard to rebuild. Let’s not allow a few fake stars to dim the future of genuine digital talent.

Business

Canva Create: Uncharted Keynote 2025

Published

6 months ago

April 13, 2025

News Desk

Welcome to a new era where productivity meets creativity like never before. Join our Founders Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams as they unveil our biggest product launch since Canva was founded. From the launch of Visual Suite 2.0 to Canva Sheets, Canva AI, Canva Code, and beyond—this year’s products are all inspired by real community wishes, designed to help you navigate a new world of work. Find out more www.canva.com/canva-create