The past few years gave way to a boom in the number of people joining direct selling schemes in India who were lured in by the false promise of riches. These tactics – imported from the West – have been quietly growing without much scrutiny. Ria – not her real name – fell prey to one of the largest schemes operating in the country. In an exclusive interview for BBC Trending, she reveals how she was trained to “attract people” into the business. There is a small group of crusaders who are fighting back, trying to save people from buying into schemes that leave more people further out of pocket than they were to begin with. So who are they and how are they doing it? The BBC’s health and disinformation reporter, Rachel Schraer investigates this phenomenon, speaking to experts, the authorities and even two YouTubers who are spreading awareness in the small South Indian village. Presenter: Rachel Schraer Producer: Reha Kansara Editor: Flora Carmichael

In 2020 the Chinmark Group appeared to be a thriving Nigerian business empire, endorsed by a string of popular influencers online. It sold investment deals to its followers, promising them astonishing returns. Today the empire is in tatters, but what went wrong? We hear from a social media star who hyped the company up, a former employee who sold the scheme to the public, and a student who staked his life savings on its success - losing everything in the process. And we’ll find out why firms following a similar pattern are proving so popular in Nigeria. Reporters: Chiagozie Chiagozie Nwonwu and Fauziyya Tukur Producer: Sam Judah Editor: Flora Carmichael

For more than a decade, he tricked the world into believing a Scottish scientist called Alan MacMasters invented the electric toaster in 1893. At the heart of this web of fantasy was a Wikipedia article that fooled dozens of journalists, public officials, and even primary school teachers. But how did this hoaxer get away with it for so long? And how did an eagle-eyed 15-year-old eventually manage to expose his deception? Presenter: Marco Silva Editor: Flora Carmichael

Since the overturning of Roe versus Wade, dozens of US abortion clinics have closed their doors. Now efforts to provide abortion information and access have moved online, where false claims, genuine pills and dodgy remedies sit side by side. We meet the anti-abortion campaigners spreading false claims that clinically approved pills are dangerous and pro-choice supporters promoting dodgy herbal remedies on social media. Presenter: Rachel Schraer Producers: Jerry Sullivan & Kayleen Devlin Editor: Flora Carmichael

Ahead of Kenya’s general election, a bitter war for public opinion was being fought on social media. In a bid to sway the result, online influencers – from students to pop stars – were offered cash in exchange for political messages. Critics say that paid political messages are swamping social media – but they aren’t declared as adverts, and instead they pose as genuine political opinion. We meet some of the key players in the country’s online information economy: micro-influencers, musicians and bigtime strategists explain their role in the controversial industry. And we hear from researchers who think the practice could be corroding democratic debate in Kenya. Reporters: Jack Goodman and Peter Mwai Producer: Sam Judah Editor: Flora Carmichael