Amazon sues to stop phony product reviews
NEW YORK — Amazon.com is stepping up its fight against bogus product reviews on its site, suing more than 1,000 people for allegedly offering to post glowing write-ups for as little as $5 apiece.
The complaint, filed in state court in Seattle last week, takes aim at what is thought to be a burgeoning practice online: Some people try to make money by writing five-star testimonials about products they have never tried. Some companies try to boost sales by commissioning such reviews.
Online shoppers are relying more on consumer reviews. About 45 percent consider product reviews when weighing an online purchase, according to Forrester Research. Retailers have tried to crack down on paid-for bogus reviews.
Sites that depend on customer-generated reviews, including Yelp and TripAdvisor, use computer algorithms and teams of investigators to detect fraudulent write-ups.
Amazon is going after writers of the reviews who have accounts on freelance marketplace Fiverr.com.
The writers promise fivestar reviews to companies that sell products on Amazon.com, according to the complaint. In many cases, the writers ask the sellers to write the review, and then they put their name on it, the lawsuit alleges.
Anyone who buys from Amazon is a verified customer and can write an online review about the product. That’s one way Amazon tries to guard against bogus reviews.
Amazon said the complaint is not against Fiverr.com but against individuals selling reviews.