Creating an alt account and buying your own stuff is the fastest way to get disabled.
If you suspect (some proof is required) that someone is doing this, just hit up author support! Envato Author Support and trust me, they have some very nice tools to find out if the account is linked to other authors.
No need to argue, just follow my advice and relax. Stress is bad for you!
For example, one of them by subscription downloads a specific track from a specific author, make a video with this track and upload it on his YouTube.
This is what every author does with this track.
The track climbs to the top on Elements.
Then they promote another author’s track. And so they bring their tracks to the top, which are then downloaded by real buyers.
More accounts, more tops, more downloads, more money.
And if you blame them, you can safely provide any video as proof that thay edited it, did the work. Not just a self-buy, but the real video.
I have 20 names, some of them real names, some of them author names, I hope it will be possible to check suspicious actions between the tracks in the top and their authors. Check accounts by names or by IP addresses, in general, I hope it is possible.
The best way to address this issue is by contacting Envato’s support team directly. Be sure to include relevant proof, such as screenshots. Posting in the public forum could unintentionally encourage others to follow the spam you’re concerned about.
When it comes to music, while users may be influenced by the popularity of tracks, many initially seek music that resonates with them or aligns with the tone of their project, often having specific styles, moods, or genres in mind that reflect their creative vision.
According to your forum post, these users have multiple accounts. Even if they do have several accounts, it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to maintain distinct payment methods for each one, correct? Additionally, there are verification factors such as IP addresses, browser fingerprints, and other methods to detect such activities, which a marketplace like Envato likely has already implemented.
There are spam networks that claim they can boost your sales or increase your likes for a certain price, but in reality, they are just scams designed to take your money. This could be one of those networks you’ve encountered. They may even list top authors as their clients to mislead potential customers.
Anyway, don’t worry. Since you’ve already contacted Envato support, they will likely assist you with your concerns. If there is any loophole, they will definitely address it, as it also impacts their earnings.
Hi all. Sorry for the late reply - I missed this thread when it first appeared, and I’ve been in a lot of meetings since getting tagged in. Thanks to @Enabled for jumping into this thread: Author Support is definitely the right place to send any details to, as they can investigate and take action against any accounts that are breaching our user terms.
We do regularly investigate and suspend or ban accounts for self-purchasing activity, including groups that consistently purchase each others’ content. As baevox mentioned, there are lots of data points that can connect these accounts, and these tend to be exposed quickly during an investigation.
Thanks Ben for the answer. That’s what I wanted to hear, that the marketplace is not idle. Although you can’t keep track of everything, here’s a small example:
[removed by moderator] - as asked numerous times, please reach out to Envato Author Support
the same track on different accounts.
And there are unfortunately a lot of such examples.
I hope we will fight self-buying more effectively. All I want is fair play, fair work.
Hey Dredstudio, what makes you think that buying an account is related to self-buying?
These are different things, don’t mix one with the other.
I have always been against self-buyouts and always wrote to support if I noticed any suspicious activity.
But buying out a portfolio is legal.
About empty idk.
But don’t you think that such a purchase is a pure investment?
In addition, there is an opportunity to upload 30 more tracks per month.
I am myself also the owner of two accounts on Envato Elements. And I would not refuse to buy another one, including those who have difficulties with payments in Russia or Belarus due to sanctions (so If there are any here, write me a private message).
Therefore, the way you dragged self-buyouts into this sounds very offensive to me because you mixed it all up.
But although I do not exclude the possibility that in the future a network of scammers may arise from those who bought many empty accounts for themselves, filled them with tracks and made downloads with the help of fake buyers on Envato Elements. This was not fair for all authors and therefore Envato should more carefully monitor such schemes and somehow identify fake buyers and authors who participate in this.
Authors are not allowed to have more than two author accounts where one is exclusive and other non-exclusive. Exceptions may be considered but author should contact Envato support team first to explain why is necessary to have more author accounts. You can read that here.