The prediction platform Polymarket paid content creators for videos featuring fake bets and winnings on lookalike sites. These videos were shared on social media and used as advertisements for the service, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, dozens of creators were involved in the scheme. The publication reviewed over 1,100 videos, along with instructional materials and interviews with content creators who worked with the company.
Creators were paid between $2,000 and $3,000 per month and were required to keep their collaboration confidential, the WSJ claims. Copies of the Polymarket website were used for filming videos and screenshots.
A separate marketing agency promoted the videos on social media. A total of 1,105 videos from 10 sponsored creators, published from December to mid-May, garnered over 140 million views.
One of the contributors was student George Makihara. In January, he posted a video claiming he won $100,000 on a bet that Donald Trump would publicly say the word McDonald’s. According to the publication's estimates, from January to mid-May, Makihara showcased 145 bets totaling nearly $410,000 in the videos—none of these transactions actually occurred.
Following inquiries from the WSJ, many creators removed such videos. Polymarket also took down the lookalike sites used to record the staged materials.
It’s worth noting that in May, analysts from Bubblemaps discovered 80 bets on U.S. military actions against Iran on the platform, with suspicious accuracy.