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If you want to avoid getting scammed on Amazon and other sites, you might think the reviews section is your best friend. After all, if there's a problem with the production other customers would point information technology out.

RELATED: I Got Scammed by a Counterfeiter on Amazon. Hither's How You lot Tin can Avoid Them

Only that'southward non true, because lots of reviews are simulated. Scummy companies accept been known to rent false reviewers to praise products and boost sales, significant you never know for certain that a review tin can be trusted.

Having said that, there are tools that assist spot such nonsense, and you tin can learn to recognize faux reviews with time.

Scan Amazon Links For Fake Reviews Automatically

If you're browsing Amazon or Yelp, and suspect the reviews you're seeing are imitation, there's a quick way to support your suspicion: FakeSpot.com. This site analyzes the comments and works out whether the reviews are likely to be simulated.

To get started, copy the URL form any Amazon or Yelp folio you recollect has suspicious review. The site will scan the reviews and requite you an adjusted rating, with reviews that are likely fake removed.

Fakespot scans the language used in every review, and also checks the profile of every reviewer, and then uses a number of factors to decide whether a given review is probable to be fake or not.

For example, excessively positive language is considered a carmine flag. While many people are willing to compliment a good product in a review, they rarely pile on positive adjectives the way simulated reviewers will. Similarly, if reviewers seem to simply e'er post positive reviews, and to post reviews of the same company's products, there's a expert take chances the reviews are fake. It'southward also considered suspicious for a bunch of positive reviews to prove upwards on the same 24-hour interval.

None of these rules are hard and fast. Sometimes existent people will do these things, and sometimes fake reviewers won't. Only FakeSpot'southward statistical analysis tries to spot trends and give you an thought of how probable the reviews below a given product are false. If this site doesn't suspect anything is incorrect with the reviews, there'south a good chance you've got zip to worry nigh.

How to Spot Fakes Yourself

What if you're seeing fake reviews, or comments, on sites other than Amazon or Yelp? Or just don't want to depend on a website? Then, my friend, you demand to develop an internal BS detector.

The things that FakeSpot takes into account—excessively positive language, multiple reviews published on the same solar day—are nifty initial things to wait at. Then yous need to consider a few more than things.

  • Check the dates on the reviews. Did a agglomeration of positive reviews inundation the product seemingly at one time? If and then, you're probably looking at false comments.
  • Consider the language choices. Fake reviewers frequently aren't native English language speakers. For this reason, you might notice some weird language choices in fake reviews. For instance: a supposedly US-based reviewer might refer to something equally costing "1300 USD," even though an actual American would never specify "USD" while writing a review.
  • Click the reviewer'south profile. You tin typically practice this past clicking the user's name. Does a given review seem to only e'er exit positive reviews, with glowing language? Practice they tend to focus on products from little-known companies? That's very suspicious, and might be a sign that yous're looking at a fake reviewer.
  • Do some Googling. If the site yous're looking at provides a starting time and last proper name for a reviewer, go ahead and look the person up. Do the results friction match with an actual human being person, with a Facebook or Twitter account? If and then, practice they talk to other humans, or just kinda exist?
  • Cheque the avatar. Many fake reviewers pull photos from blogs or other people'southward social media profiles to appear similar an actual person. Run a opposite image search to find the original source of the image. Oft you lot'll find out you lot're looking at a stock photo, a photo grabbed from someone else'due south weblog, or even a clip from a movie.

These aren't the simply ways to spot a fake, of form, and simulated reviewers are going to get more sophisticated over fourth dimension. Just approach reviews with a healthy sense of skepticism, instead of assuming everything is coming from a well-intentioned consumer like yourself.

Photo credit: Colin

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