ThinkCritical.eu · Manipulation atlas
Sources and evidenceFake reviews
Glowing ratings and “customer testimonials” written or bought by the seller to create trust the shop has not earned.
Other customers’ ratings save us time – which is exactly why they are worth faking. Fake reviews are written by the seller, commissioned or paid for. This is banned in the EU, and a shop must say whether and how it checks that reviews come from people who actually bought or used the product.
An unknown pram shop: “Rated 4.9 out of 5 by 2,318 happy parents.” The reviews appear only on the shop’s own site, all from the same week, and you cannot click through to the reviewers’ profiles.
How to spot it
- Only glowing ratings without a single complaint – and only on the shop’s own site.
- Reviews look almost identical, share the same date or repeat the same text in several languages.
- You cannot open the reviewer’s profile, or the photos don’t match the text.
- The shop offers money or a discount in exchange for a five-star rating.
How to check and what to do
- Look for reviews outside the shop’s website: search for its name plus “reviews” or “scam”.
- Read the critical ratings too – and how the shop responds to them.
- Check whether the shop says how it verifies reviews (for example, only from people with an order).
Tip: A few honest complaints are a better sign than a hundred stars without a single one.
Full explanation and exercises:
thinkcritical.eu/en/manipulation-atlas/fake-reviews