Symeon Brown explores the various ways people make money from their digital followings, from streaming to sex work, and the dangers of an online culture built around ambition and exploitation.

We all love rags-to-riches stories of self-made success, from start-up CEOs to hip-hop artists; they show us that anyone can get to the top.

Social media has lowered the barriers to success and celebrity, and there is now a fast-growing sector of influencers converting their digital followings into money.

In Get Rich or Lie Trying, author and journalist Symeon Brown pulls back the curtain to reveal the darker side of the influencer economy.

While some are lucky enough to earn millions from their online followings, most people fall into scams designed to exploit their desperation for fame and clout.

The consequences of these scams can be severe, long-lasting, and, as Brown shows, disastrous for our whole society.