The‌‌attempt‌‌to‌‌reach‌‌influencers‌‌proved‌‌to‌‌be‌‌the‌‌operation’s‌‌undoing.‌‌Rather‌‌than‌‌taking‌‌ Fazze’s‌‌money‌‌(reportedly‌‌2,000‌‌euros),‌‌one‌‌F ‌ rench‌‌‌and‌‌one‌‌G ‌ erman‌‌‌influencer‌‌exposed‌‌the‌‌ campaign.‌‌This‌‌triggered‌‌a‌‌wave‌‌of‌‌open-source‌‌research‌‌that‌‌identified‌‌Fazze’s‌‌corporate‌‌ ownership‌‌and‌‌the‌‌influencers‌‌they‌‌targeted.‌‌In‌‌response,‌‌Fazze‌‌appears‌‌to‌‌have‌‌deleted‌‌most‌‌ of‌‌its‌‌fake‌‌articles‌‌by‌‌the‌‌end‌‌of‌‌May,‌‌and‌‌its‌‌staff‌‌removed‌‌the‌‌references‌‌to‌‌Fazze‌‌from‌‌their‌‌ social‌‌media‌‌bios.‌‌According‌‌to‌‌public‌‌reporting,‌‌when‌‌journalists‌‌approached‌‌the‌‌influencers‌‌in‌‌ Brazil‌‌and‌‌India,‌‌they,‌‌too,‌‌deleted‌‌their‌‌content.‌ ‌ Image‌ ‌ Screenshot‌‌of‌‌the‌‌profile‌‌of‌‌one‌‌of‌‌the‌‌accounts‌‌run‌‌by‌‌the‌‌ operation,‌‌subsequent‌‌to‌‌its‌‌exposure‌‌in‌‌May‌‌2021.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ JULY‌‌2021‌‌COORDINATED‌‌INAUTHENTIC‌‌BEHAVIOR‌‌REPORT‌ 16‌ ‌