Professional operations with sophisticated bot infrastructure. They purchase inventory at face value and resell on secondary markets at 2–10x markup. This is a profitable business model — bot software is commercially available, and the ROI on concert tickets and limited sneakers is substantial.

Systematically exploit referral programs, sign-up bonuses, and promo codes. Create thousands of fake accounts, each triggering a referral payout. Operate until the platform catches on and bans the accounts — then start over with new accounts and payment methods.

Use APIs to monitor competitor pricing, inventory, and reviews at scale. Submit fake negative reviews for competitors. Automatically undercut prices. Aggregate data that provides unfair market intelligence. These actors use valid accounts and legitimate-looking behavior.

Farm accounts to manipulate trending topics, upvote rankings, or poll outcomes. Can be commercially motivated (promoting a product) or politically motivated (manipulating public discourse). Use valid accounts created in bulk and operated programmatically.