July 14, 2024, 7:03 am | Read time: 4 minutes

Fake reviews are, of course, not a problem limited to Amazon or specifically Prime Day. Manipulated reviews are everywhere on the internet. In fact, they are only punishable “if a false review constitutes defamation.” This can be read in the current penalty catalog. Fake positive reviews aim to persuade potential buyers to make a purchase. On the upcoming Prime Day, consumers could face a multitude of them.

How to Spot Fake Reviews on Amazon

TECHBOOK has already introduced the tool ReviewMeta. With its help, consumers can identify fake reviews. The service analyzes, among other things, the review history of individual users and reacts, for example, when there are reviewers who consistently give very good or exclusively bad ratings. It also examines all reviews of a product for typical characteristics. These include anomalies that should trigger your fake radar even without ReviewMeta as a tool. TECHBOOK lists the main ones.

Unnatural Language

When telling friends about a satisfactory purchase, one usually doesn’t mention the full brand name of the product, but rather the common abbreviation or general term for it. For example, one might refer to the new hairdryer or phone, or perhaps just their new iPhone. It would be similar in a genuine online review. If the correct, long brand name is used throughout and the review is filled with promotional, laudatory descriptions, it’s very likely a fake.

If the spelling is flawless, that can also be a sign of a fake review. After all, not all reviewers/consumers online are grammar experts. However, this doesn’t mean that the presence of minor errors proves a review is authentic. Savvy individuals might deliberately include small typos to make it seem more realistic.

Noticeably Long, Detailed Texts

Have you ever left a review online? If so, you probably kept it brief and avoided personal details. Ironically, fake reviewers seem to believe that particularly long reviews appear more credible. Guides such as those from the Danish consumer company “Trustpilot” may have contributed to this. They recommend very detailed descriptions.

Additionally, personal stories are apparently meant to build trust and create desire. This is also how advertising works. Certain music or appropriate imagery is intended to emotionally reach the potential buyer. In (fake) reviews meant to motivate purchases, a seemingly good storytelling approach must suffice. If a review seems too sentimental, skepticism is warranted.

Unrealistic Timing

Take a look at the timing of the review submission. If it was very soon after the product’s launch or availability, something might be amiss. Even very quick (real) buyers would first need to have experience with it.

How Amazon Fights Fake Reviews

It’s also not in the online retailer’s interest for its platform to be overrun with fake reviews, but unfortunately, this has long been the case. “Amazon invests significant resources to proactively prevent fake reviews,” according to its website. Numerous lawsuits have already been filed against alleged fraudsters in the past. Amazon claims to have uncovered around 200 million fake reviews in 2022.

In 2020, TECHBOOK reported on the introduction of the then-new one-click review system. This made it easier for users to quickly and easily provide an (honest) assessment of a product. As a result, even Amazon customers who typically don’t take the time for a detailed review could quickly give their opinion. The increase in effortless, genuine reviews was expected to automatically reduce the relevance of fake reviews. The company continues to work with experts to develop tools that help protect customers as reliably as possible from malicious actors.