As is the case with most products retailed online, there are thousands of fake reviews used to help market products and services. Fake reviews can be used to increase product and service awareness, even for products that are genuinely beneficial and practical.
For all consumers to thrive and survive in the marketplace, identifying erroneous endorsements and false appraisals is crucial. Thankfully, this guide will outline some of the most obvious signs that an endorsement or an online evaluation should be treated with caution.
Difficult to Read and Understand
Firstly, if you spot an online appraisal that is difficult to read and understand, then there is a chance that it one of the many fake reviews online. Scam endorsements are often written by foreign copywriters and ghostwriters (from non-English speaking backgrounds), so you can pick up on spelling mistakes and syntax errors. Indeed, these mistakes could indicate that a fallacious writer has written the evaluation.
Generally Short in Length
In addition, fake reviews are usually short in length. Scam writers (or copy generated by automated bots) usually keep their appraisals as quick as possible, as a way of minimising the amount of specific detail they need to integrate into their rating. If you come across a rating that is overly negative, misspelled and short in length, chances are it’s not genuine.
Overly Extreme and Confident
Likewise, a lot of fake reviews that you might find on Google, Yelp or other community rating platforms are often extreme in their language and overly confident. Most genuine ratings offer their opinion without seeming obnoxious or assertive. On the other hand, scam appraisals, both in terms of style and tone, often come across as overly confident and bold, in the sense that they will demand or encourage people to avoid/purchase the product without much evidence to support this claim.
Not Connected to a Verified Purchase
Another commonality that exists between fake reviews is that they are often not connected to a verified purchase. When you lodge an appraisal or rating of a product online, you have an option where you can confirm your purchase. By extension, this verifies your rating and adds to your credibility, as more and more fellow consumers will gravitate to genuine ratings that are ratified by a purchase.
Profile Details are Vague
If you’re perusing community sites filled with product ratings and consumer appraisals, then one thing you must be mindful of is the individual’s profile detail. As is the case with social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter, the vaguer and suss an individual’s profile appears, the more likely they are not a real account, used solely for fake reviews.
No “Helpful” Votes
On most sites, product evaluations can be rated by other users of the website. Put simply, if the rest of the community believes that there are fake ratings littered on the site, then you should prepare for disingenuous appraisals. So, look out for evaluations that have been downvoted or received no votes for being “helpful”, since they are likely not real. To take extra precaution, click on their profile and see if any of their other evaluations and ratings match. Profiles that only give 5 stars or 1 star should be treated extra cautiously!
