DENVER -- A company listing a downtown Denver office as its business address has ties to a controversy involving the sale of fake social media accounts.
A New York Times investigation exposed a so-called "follower factory" that included allegations a company called Demuvi is selling Twitter follows and other forms of social media engagement.
Demuvi's parent company, Bytion, has an office in downtown Denver located in a nondescript building located at 19th and Grant. A Denver7 reporter went to the office in an attempt to get answers.
The man who answered the door would not give his name but said, "We are providing a service and that’s all there is to it."
The New York attorney general announced he is looking into the company. He tweeted, "Impersonation and deception are illegal under New York law. We’re opening an investigation into Devumi and its apparent sale of bots using stolen identities."
According to the Times, at least 55,000 of the accounts use personal details like the names, profile pictures and hometowns of real Twitter users, including minors.
Demuvi's website lists an address in New York, but Times reporters did not find the company there. Instead, the business was tracked down to Bytion's offices in West Palm Beach. A search of Florida records shows the company just changed its address to Denver.
The Denver office lacked furniture and was filled with boxes. It appeared the company may be in the process of moving in; the name was not yet listed in the building directory.
Denver7 left a business card with the man at Bytion, attempted to reach Devumi via email and reached out to the owner German Calas. He previously told the Times that the allegations are false.
