False advertising: Don’t fall for fake reviews

Last updated on January 10th, 2023

Wanting a night out with friends? Keen to try something new? Do a quick Google search and up comes a bunch of restaurants nearby, one with far more positive reviews than the rest. But are they real? Fake reviews for everything from bakeries to dental services are abundant on the internet, and separating them from the real deal can take time and effort.

It’s hard to know exactly how many aren’t genuine, with estimates varying from about 10 percent to a third of all online reviews. Google is home to six times as many reviews as any other portal, even it has trouble keeping up. Last year the search engine said it removed 95 million reviews that did not meet its guidelines.

But critics say Google and its competitors need to do more to combat fake reviews. And it’s not just the consumer that gets stung. Negative fake reviews can be very damaging to businesses that might not even be aware of them until it’s too late. Fake reviews can also falsely trumpet the services of others.

So what can you do to avoid falling for a fake review? Are there any protections in Australia for consumers or businesses? We take a deep dive into this murky underworld to help you spot the fraudsters and, hopefully, put them out of action.

What is a fake review?

 

 

A fake review means to give a false representation of something in order to deceive. In the context of customer reviews, that could be someone from a company – pretending to be another person – writing a glowing review of their own product or service. It could also be a competitor trying to discredit a business by posting negative reviews.

Why do people create fake reviews?

Some businesses do it themselves in an attempt to inflate their online ranking and make themselves more visible to potential customers. Others might hire someone to write positive reviews about their products or services to boost sales.

In some cases, businesses might pay someone to write a negative review about a competitor in order to damage their reputation and business. This is known as a “sock puppet” attack. This is when a business creates a false online persona – or multiple personas – and uses them to post negative reviews about a competitor. The hope, of course, is that potential customers will be put off by the bad reviews and choose not to spend their money with the competitor.

Sock puppet attacks are not only unethical, but they’re also against the law. In April 2022, the Federal Court of Australia took action against Dr Mitchell Kim, plastic/cosmetic surgeon and physician, and his wife for engaging in this type of behaviour. The judge found the couple guilty of posting a fake review against Gold Coast cosmetic surgeon Cesidio Colagrande on a medical rating website. The review insinuated that Dr Colagrande sexually assaulted a patient. The couple was ordered to pay $420,000 in damages and more than $30,000 in costs.

What is the difference between a fake review and a scam?

A fake review is a review that has been written by someone who has been paid or otherwise incentivised - perhaps through malice, for example - to write it. It might be positive or negative, but it’s not an accurate reflection of the reviewer’s true opinion.

A scam is when someone tries to trick you into giving them money or personal information. For example, they might set up a fake website that looks like a real online store. Then, when you try to buy something from the site, they will ask you for your credit card details. But instead of getting the product you ordered, you’ll get nothing, and your credit card will be charged.

Fake reviews in numbers

More than 50 percent of Australians believe they’ve been duped by fake reviews, and, more alarmingly, 26 percent cannot distinguish a fake review from a genuine one.

This is good news for businesses that have fake glowing reviews. A study led by University of Baltimore economist Roberto Cavazos found that “fake reviews are influencing the behaviour of shoppers and will fuel an estimated $1.2 billion worth of online sales”. This report was published in 2021, with the number likely to increase in line with the continued rise in online shopping.

 

 

For negative reviews, however, it’s a bit more complicated. While a single bad review might not turn some people off, others might see it as confirmation of their suspicion and decide not to buy the product.

In Dr Colagrande’s case, for example, the impact was costly. Witnesses during his trial said “they had seen the review and chosen not to have surgery with Dr Colagrande”. It traumatised the doctor, who had to take time off work on several occasions.

How can you identify and avoid fake reviews?

Fake reviews are everywhere, but they're most common on websites and apps that are used to find and buy products or services. These include:

• • Online stores, such as Amazon and eBay
  • Product review websites, such as CNET and Gizmodo
  • Business directories, such as Yelp and TripAdvisor
  • Travel websites, such as Expedia and Airbnb
  • Food delivery websites, such as Menulog and UberEats

How to tell the difference between authentic and fake online reviews

The best way to avoid being misled by fake reviews is to know how to spot them. Here are some tips on how to tell the difference.

• • Check the profile of the reviewer. If they only have one or two reviews, or if their profile was created recently, that might be a sign that the review is fake. Sometimes their profile might seem legit, but background details may be inconsistent. For example, their profile might say they own a business in France but live in Australia.
  • Look for patterns in the reviews. If all of the reviews are positive or negative, that might be a sign that they are not genuine.
  • Look for reviews that are short and lack detail. Fake reviews are often poorly written and often littered with spelling and grammatical errors.
  • Beware of overly flattering reviews, too. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Be sceptical of reviews from anonymous reviewers. While some people do prefer to post anonymously for good reason, if the reviews are too damning or too fawning and they’re anonymous, it’s best to ignore them.

How to combat fake reviews

The challenge in eliminating fake reviews is that it’s often difficult to prove that a review is fake. While there are no easy solutions, some platforms use artificial intelligence to identify fake reviews. For example, Google uses Perspective software to identify abusive or misleading comments. In 2021, the search engine giant removed seven million fake business profiles.

Another approach is to make it harder for fake reviews to be posted in the first place. For example, TripAdvisor requires reviewers to have a valid email address and to connect their profile with a Facebook or Google account.

Others are urging tech platforms to make it easier for them to take down fake reviews.

But it’s a problem that is likely to continue as long as businesses are willing to pay for fake reviews and consumers are willing to believe them.

What government body monitors fake reviews?

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is the government body responsible for enforcing consumer law in Australia.

In October 2022, the ACCC launched an investigation into fake reviews after receiving complaints from businesses and consumers.

As part of the investigation, the ACCC will review at least 100 businesses, mainly in areas where consumers rely on reviews the most to make decisions before buying, such as household appliances, health products and travel services.

The ACCC also released guidance for businesses on complying with consumer law regarding online reviews and testimonials, making it clear that businesses cannot create fake or misleading reviews.

The ACCC has said it will continue to monitor fake reviews and take action against businesses found to be breaching consumer law.

This can include issuing fines, ordering the business to stop the conduct, and ordering them to refund customers.

In 2018, Meriton Property Services was fined $3 million for manipulating their reviews on TripAdvisor. The company was found guilty of tampering with their clients’ email addresses so negative reviews wouldn’t show on the site.

What can you do if you come across a fake review?

If you see a fake review, report it to the platform where it is posted. Most platforms have a process that enables you to do this easily.

• • On Google, click on the three dots (...) next to the review and choose ‘report review’.
  • On Facebook, tap the three dots and click ‘report post’’.
  • On Amazon, click on the ‘report’ button at the bottom of the review.

 

 

If you are a business owner and believe a review is fake, you can also contact the platform directly to make a complaint.

Most big platforms have customer service teams who will investigate your claim and take appropriate action if they find that the review is indeed fake.

You can also make a complaint to the ACCC. While the consumer regulator doesn’t “resolve individual disputes about online reviews”, it uses “those reports to inform our education, compliance and enforcement work.”

You can also complain to Australia's Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.

And remember there is strength in numbers. If you know a business is using fake reviews, don’t buy from them and urge others to do the same.

Let us help you handle it

With the vast majority of Australians using the internet to search for millions of services and products online; it’s impossible to avoid fake reviews. But if you know the telltale signs to look for before you hit ‘Google’, you are less likely to fall for false advertising, good or bad.

If you do get stung, don’t despair. You can seek redress through the agencies listed above but, as always, if you aren’t getting the response you deserve, we’re here to help. Lodge your complaint with us, and we’ll help you handle it.