Influencer sued for claiming she was the first woman to visit every country in the world

Indy100 ^ | 4/14/2022 | Elaine McCallig

[simpson96]

A social media influencer who claimed she is the first woman to travel to every country in the world is being sued by a consumer protection group.

Cassie De Pecol, who boasts over 500,000 Instagram followers, reportedly claimed that she was the first woman to travel to every country in the world - despite several others claiming to have done so before her.

A lawsuit from consumer protection group Travelers United alleges that the 32-year-old used these claims to grow her audience and to cash in on sponsorships, according to The Washington Post.

Columnist Taylor Lorenz wrote: "The truth is that De Pecol is not the first woman to travel to every country. Nor is she the first woman to travel to every country alone.

"She is the first, however, to claim it on social media."

Travel influencing - where a content creator will jet off to another country and share their journey with their audience - is one of the sector’s most lucrative industries and is worth over $16 billion in 2022 alone.

Lauren Wolfe, counsel for Travelers United, has called for the Federal Trade Commission to tackle similar issues around influencer accountability head-on by creating a dedicated department.

[Scrambler Bob]

Eve was first.