Fake Product Reviews Are Absolutely Everywhere, Here’s The Best Way To Spot Them
The best ways to spot fake product reviews include checking reviewer profiles, looking for red flags like odd photos or repeat phrasing, and using tools like Review Meta and Fakespotter.
Maria Konnikova, a New York Times bestselling author and international poker champion, put it best when she remarked, “Humans are startlingly bad at detecting fraud. Even when we’re on the lookout for signs of deception, studies show, our accuracy is hardly better than chance.” Her astute observation applies to all aspects of life, even the online product reviews we rely on to help us decide on the best laptop to buy or which hiking boots to purchase for an upcoming vacation to Yosemite.
Indeed, consumers’ reliance on reviews to help them make purchasing decisions has grown in prominence alongside the rise of online shopping. According to a recent article in NPR, “researchers have found that more than 99 percent of consumers read reviews online before they shop, and nearly three-quarters of consumers say they’ve left an online review for a local business in the past year.”
It used to be easy to tell which product reviews to trust, but now that fake product reviews are so common, it may be a daunting task. The prevalence of bogus product reviews begs the following questions: Why are fake product reviews so common? What are the negative impacts that can occur? How can we identify them?
Fake product reviews have become a common occurrence for a variety of reasons. First off, businesses may pay for fake reviews in an attempt to increase their product’s ratings and overall visibility. Secondly, competitors may engage in review manipulation to harm their competitors’ reputations. Lastly, individual reviewers may seek rewards or incentives for leaving positive reviews, often with little regard for the accuracy of their feedback. The anonymity of the internet also makes it easier for these fake reviews to be created and posted without any consequences.
Fake reviews can hurt both customers and businesses in a big way. They can trick customers into buying products that don’t live up to the hype or are even dangerous. Additionally, fake product reviews can hurt small businesses that may not have the resources to compete with companies that engage in these unethical practices. Finally, fake reviews can reduce trust in online reviews overall, making consumers less likely to rely on them when making purchasing decisions.
You don’t have to be deceived, though. The good news is that there are several ways to spot a fake review. For starters, checking the profile of the reviewer is often a good indicator. If the reviewer has left a large number of reviews in a short period of time or if their language or review style is inconsistent, this could be a sign of a fake review.
Additionally, if a reviewer repeatedly uses certain phrases or words, this could also be a red flag. Secondly, checking the product’s reviews as a whole can also provide insight. Overly positive or negative reviews, repetitive reviews, and strange product photos can all be signs of fake reviews. Finally, checking for reviews on multiple platforms can also help identify fake product reviews.
Fortunately, there are several tools available to help identify fake reviews. Review Meta, Fakespotter, and Review Skeptic are just a few of the tools that can help consumers identify fake reviews and assess the overall quality of reviews for a product. These tools analyze patterns in language and other data points to determine the likelihood that a review is fake.
