FIVE-STAR FAKES
Do you trust all those glowing online reviews? You shouldn’t! About HALF are nothing but . . .
RAVE five-star reviews that influence the online shopping habits of millions of consumers are scams in half of all cases, warn industry experts. The rip-off ruse involves fraudsters posting fake ‘top buy’ reviews on the internet to trick people into buying often sub-standard goods and services – sometimes even potentially dangerous counterfeits.
While major online retailers such as Amazon and eBay are keen to stamp out these fraudsters, it is proving difficult.
Firms often write the reviews themselves or bribe others with cash payments for every positive review they post.
Pressure to attract customers has led to an increased number of online sellers resorting to these underhand tactics – as nine out of ten people admit that a review can influence their buying habits.
THE MARKET FOR RAVE REVIEWS
ANDREW Levi is founder of Capo Commerce, a Texas-based firm, that helps companies boost online ‘e-commerce’ presence through genuine reviews.
He says: ‘Positive reviews to a seller are like gold dust – and great ones can boost company trade by at least 25 per cent. Buyers place a heavy weight on what is posted by other customers.’
Levi adds: ‘Companies know that if they can manipulate these comments it will be good for business. As many as 50 per cent of all reviews are now fraudulent.
‘It is so bad you now need to treat companies boasting 100 per cent five-star reviews more cautiously than those which are less highly rated.
‘If nothing bad is written about a firm it should be treated with suspicion.
‘Just ask yourself – why do people bother reviewing in the first place? Usually when they have something to complain about.’
Phoney reviews are often put up by the business wanting more customers – and are posted not just by the boss, but employees, family and friends.
There are also market places where companies can buy fake reviews from as little as £1.
Social media websites, such as Facebook and Fiverr, provide forums where individuals can provide positive reviews.
Websites such as BuyUSAservice and Social Media Badge Verificat i on al so advertise ‘ f i ve st ar review services’ – charging in some cases about £50 for ten glowing reports.
Also, so-called ‘influencers’ that pose as j ournalists will often post positive messages on social media or write gushing blogs in exchange for freebies, discounts and cash.
The Competition and Markets Authority has esti mated t hat reviews have a huge influence on an online shopping market worth £23 billion a year.
FIVE STARS ARE NOT ALWAYS A GOOD SIGN
FRANCESCA Dowling is head of compliance for online banking service Amaiz. Her expertise is in uncovering fraud and exposing fake reviews. She says: ‘ People might believe fake reviewing is a victimless crime – but it isn’t. This is fraudulent manipulation of facts that does consumer harm.’
Dowling adds: ‘Five-star ratings should be seen as a red flag. As a consumer I would only focus on the bad reviews, but these are not always genuine either.
‘You get nasty people threatening firms with an online slating if they do not get a freebie or discount. Some firms even anonymously post their own negative comments to provide a balance to stop readers becoming too suspicious of just reading glowing reports.’
Dowling believes it is the bad reviews where a supplier has then responded with its own comments that are most worthy of consideration. She says: ‘ It is a positive sign when a company responds to criticism and this is worth far more than fraudulent five stars.’ Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to stop fraudsters infiltrating reputable review websites on platforms such as Amazon, eBay, TripAdvisor, Trustpilot and Google.
But if they are found out, they are ‘blacklisted’. Levi says: ‘Once blacklisted it is hard for a firm caught using fake reviews to get its products listed again. I know of outfits charg
ing $5,000 (about £4,000) a time to try to get firms and their products relisted. They do a roaring trade taking on up to 200 clients a month.’
Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, it is an offence to ‘engage in a commercial practice which is a misleading action’ that leads to a consumer buying something they may otherwise not have purchased.
Yet Martyn James, of complaints website Resolver, believes more should be done – and a regulator is needed to crack down on the growing scourge of fake reviews.
He says: ‘Now, it is businesses and online websites that police reviews – the industry is crying out for a regulator to take control and help tackle these criminals.’
TELL-TALE SIGNS OF A DODGY REVIEW
ALARM bells should ring when something on offer only gets fivestar reviews or is backed by 100 per cent customer satisfaction ratings.
The first consideration is looking at the time frame and location of the reviewers’ comments.
A list of reviews showing several made in a short period of time or from a similar location indicates that fraud may be at work.
The overuse of generic terms such as ‘great’ is another possible giveaway. If you have the same phrases repeated in lots of reviews, treat them with suspicion. No punctuation or the use of just capital letters in a review are also indications of possible fraud – as can be posts that read just like an advert. Dowling says: ‘Look out for bad spelling. If it looks like a cat has run across the keyboard, a third- party review provider may have been used.’
Developing countries such as India, and nations in the Eastern Bloc, including Russia, are often where third-party reviewers are based.
As English is not the first language in these countries, it can come across in the spelling used.
The goods behind the fake review can be as flaky as the comments. Suspect electronic items, such as copycat phone chargers, are among the most common. These can overheat and can cause fires.