Fake reviews are influencing billions of dollars in purchasing decisions

User reviews are a key part of many consumers’ decision to buy products, but not all reviews are trustworthy. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has estimated that between $55 billion and $146 billion worth of goods and services sold in 2023 were associated with fraudulent user reviews—including fake reviews for products sold online and fake reviews hosted online for products sold in person (like restaurants or hotels). These practices can result in real losses for buyers. Consumers may be deceived into paying more for lower quality or unsafe products and supporting businesses they might otherwise avoid. 

The FTC released an estimate alongside its recent ban on fake reviews, which also noted that approximately 10% of products had manipulated reviews. These can be reviews written by individuals who received compensation for expressing a particular viewpoint (either positive or negative), reviews posted by someone who does not disclose their connection with a seller (like a manager who works at the business they’re reviewing) or reviews that are suppressedbecause a seller doesn’t like the content of the reviews. 

The problem is not confined just to e-commerce. The ban on fake reviews also extends to social media users who post product reviews and then purchase engagement metrics (likes, comments, follows, views, shares, saves. etc.) to make it seem as if a high number of users “like” the post. Artificially boosting product reviews posted on social media in this way can deceive real consumers into believing that many individuals saw the post and agreed with the review. As most social media platforms increase the visibility of posts that receive lots of user engagement, illicitly purchasing fake engagement can result in a greater number of real users seeing the deceptive post. 

Sometimes, you can tell if user reviews are artificial. A reviewer might post an unusually high number of glowing reviews in a short amount of time, or a seller may have a significant number of reviews within just a few hours or days of listing a product for sale. Most often, though, it is difficult to know with certainty that you are encountering review manipulation.  

• If someone asks you to write a fake review—a review for a product you have not actually used and/or a review expressing a specifically requested viewpoint—reject their request 
• Similarly, you should turn down offers of compensation in exchange for providing social media engagement (likes, views, comments, follows, shares, etc.) on product review posts. 
• Nobody should intimidate, threaten, or suppress reviews due to legitimate criticisms (or praise) expressed in those reviews. 
• Your employer shouldn’t pressure you to write reviews for products you’re selling without disclosing your connection to the business. 

If you encounter these kinds of behaviors or suspect that a product or platform has a high number of fake reviews, submit a fraud report to the FTC and Fraud.org.