Forrest Smith slams Camilla Araújo’s $5,000 course, claims it’s a ‘scam’

Forrest Smith goes viral after publicly calling out an influencer Camilla Araújojust as she returns to the spotlight with a high-profile rebrand and a documentary detailing her departure from Only fans. Araújo, who claimed to have made more than $20 million on the subscription platform, released a nearly 15-minute YouTube documentary titled “Becoming Her” on New Year’s Day. The video, which surpassed 600,000 views in less than 24 hours, presents her exit from adult content as a deeply personal evolution, focused on growth, boundaries and redefining success beyond Internet fame. But not everyone buys into this narrative.

As praise and curiosity poured in, skepticism quickly followed, with critics accusing Araújo to orchestrate a calculated public relations move linked to a new business venture, specifically an expensive course and agency, which she says are designed to help other models and designers succeed. It’s there Forrest Smith came into the conversation.

In a TikTok that has since gained traction, Smith said she personally signed up for Araújo’s program to evaluate it for herself, and that what she found raised red flags. “I signed up for Camilla’s class so you don’t have to,” Smith said. “And I’m going to detail everything that really seems fraudulent to me.”

Smith, who positioned herself as someone experienced in growing social media accounts, took issue with what she described as familiar high-pressure sales tactics. “One of the things they do is say ‘we’re interviewing to see if you’re the right fit,'” she said. “It’s just a strategy to make you feel special so you’ll be more willing to spend $2,000 to $5,000 on a course.”

She also pushed back against claims of exclusivity. “Limited spots available, that’s just bullshit,” Smith said. “Please use your critical thinking skills. »

According to Smith, the biggest problem is not just the price, but also the promise. “I’ve blown up a lot of social media accounts myself,” she said. “And guess how much money I paid to learn how to do that? Zero dollars.”

Smith argued that almost everything sold through paid programs already exists online for free. “There is no secret formula,” she said. “It’s all on YouTube. Just YouTube, please.”

While Smith didn’t directly call the program a scam, she urged buyers to be extremely cautious before investing thousands of dollars in mentoring programs tied to influencer brands.

Smith’s video quickly struck a chord, with commenters flooding her post to share their own doubts, experiences and outright skepticism about Camilla Araújo’s course. Some viewers admitted they were initially intrigued, until Smith’s depression made them reconsider. “I love Camilla and signed up at first, but now I’m starting to see how sketchy it is,” one user wrote. “I want to see if they call me, but I won’t give any of my money.”

Others were not convinced that Araújo had anything new to offer. “There is absolutely nothing Camilla can teach me,” one commenter joked, while another summed it up more bluntly, writing: “Her course: 1. participate in a MrBeast video 2. create an OF account 3. enjoy?”

Industry insiders also weighed in. A self-described social media manager for several brands echoed Smith’s criticism of the marketing tactics, writing: “The limited number of spots available is a strategy to create scarcity and fear of missing out. There are, in fact, enough spots.”