Facebook Marketplace robbery alert
No one expects to fall victim to a Facebook Marketplace robbery when they choose the popular online platform to sell items.
Raising the alarm: Report scams on Facebook
Although online marketplaces are increasingly aware of the risks of fraud and scams, the level of protection varies from platform to platform. But you should always report scams on Facebook or any other online marketplace.
Facebook Marketplace: Beware of online scams
As the number of Australians searching for a great deal online has risen, so has the number of Facebook Marketplace scams.
Wherever there are bargain hunters, there are scammers. There have even been alarming instances of criminals using marketplaces to break into your home.
False advertising: Don’t fall for fake reviews
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.
5 things you can do to avoid getting tricked by fake online reviews
Fake online reviews have become such a menace that the UK Government has launched an investigating into online review sites to check if the information posted is 'genuine, relevant and trustworthy'.
It's estimated that 81 percent of UK consumers read customer reviews or ratings and 47 percent read blogs to help make purchasing decision.
Businesses have wised up to the importance of online reviews and some – not all – encourage friends or hire strangers to write reviews about they're product without actually trying it. In fact, a study by Harvard Business School showed 16 percent of Yelp's restaurant reviews were fake.
We've compiled a list of five classic signs of fake reviews to help you make the best decision for your next purchase.