I'm following people like crazy right now to build up my network, but if an account that follows me has a cutesy or nonsense name with nothing else to pin it to an identifiable human being, I assume it's a bot, probably Russian or Chinese, definitely not my friend, and stay far, far away.

I think it's very much the exception everywhere, not just the TTRPG industry. Just about every contract listing out there claims "may turn into full-time employment," but I've never seen it happen. It's just the worm companies bait the hook with.