As wonderful as the internet can be, it lies to us every day. Fake reviews—seemingly legitimate assessments created by a seller or someone paid by them—can be hard to spot, especially with AI in the mix.
In 2024, the FTC banned companies from buying or selling reviews or having employees write fake reviews, among other things, but that won’t necessarily prevent you from being duped. If you can’t tell a genuine review from a fraud, I recommend consulting our comprehensive reviews across multiple categories before making a tech purchase; our experts know their markets inside and out. However, if you’re browsing Amazon ahead of its upcoming Spring Sale, I’ve noticed a few telltale signs a review may not be genuine.
What to Look Out For
After years of reading reviews and shopping online, I’ve noticed a few patterns among fake reviews. While you’re perusing Amazon, look out for any of the following:
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Very brief five-star and one-star reviews that lack proper context.
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Reviews that don’t use proper grammar or lack natural-sounding language. Some vendors farm out fake reviews to writers who are not native English speakers.
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Reviews that happen to plug a competing product should be ignored, since they could be another vendor hoping to lead you to their own product under false pretenses.
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If you find a listing with several similar reviews posted on the same day, something is fishy.
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Overly staged photos, overproduced video, or stock photography in a review could be a sign that someone paid to have it uploaded.
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If a listing has very few reviews compared with a similar product, there’s a chance the whole thing is a scam.
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Note the reviewer’s name. If it’s too generic or just a random string of letters and numbers, that could be a sign the review is fake.
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Reviews that lack a Verified Purchase label should be ignored. However, this doesn’t account for schemes that compensate reviewers for legitimate purchases, so be wary.
Is it AI-Generated?
It’s possible that AI tools are being used to mass-produce reviews on e-commerce sites like Amazon. They try to emulate how humans write, which can lead to some wonky sentence structure and nonsensical ramblings. But how do you tell the difference between AI and a human with terrible writing skills? If a review looks suspicious, I say run it through one of the many systems that promise to identify AI-generated text.
In my testing, I took a human-written story and an AI-generated equivalent, then ran it through GPTZero, Writer’s AI content detector, and ZeroGPT. These websites let you paste a selection of text, upload a document, or insert a URL. The text is analyzed, and a score is assigned based on whether it was written by a human or an AI. These tools proved accurate, though it’s worth noting that results can be less reliable for shorter submissions, such as online reviews.
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(Credit: PCMag / ZeroGPT)
Review checkers can filter out questionable reviews on sites like Amazon and Best Buy, providing you with a more reliable score for a given listing. But popular tools like Fakespot, ReviewMeta, and TheReviewIndex have disappeared in the last year; TheReviewIndex blames “Amazon’s policy changes.”
That doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Null Fake is an AI-powered review checker that analyzes Amazon listing reviews, assigns a reliability grade, and adjusts ratings by removing any reviews it deems questionable. You can read more about the tool’s methodology here.
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(Credit: PCMag / Null Fake)
In my testing, I used a listing for the Amazon Echo Dot Max. I submitted the URL on the website, and Null Fake generated its report, along with an AI summary about its findings. It found that 15% of the existing reviews were fake, downgrading the original 5.0 score to a 4.60 rating adjustment. As a result, Null Fake gave the listing a B grade.
Another tool, called FakeFind, also uses AI to analyze reviews on a listing and assesses authenticity, quality, and price. It will generate a number grade and also adjust the user rating. Using my test link, it graded the Echo Dot Max listing an 8 out of 10 and adjusted the review rating from a 4.3 to a 4.2.
(Credit: PCMag / FakeFind)
How to Report a Fake Review
If you come across a review you believe is fake, you can report it to Amazon, which will mark it for investigation and possible removal. Click the Report button under the review, choose Fake to mark it as “paid for, inauthentic” and click Submit. You can also go a step further by reporting a fake review directly to the FTC.
(Credit: PCMag / Amazon)
About Our Expert
Jason Cohen
Senior Editor, Help & How To
Experience
As PCMag’s editor of how to content, I have to cover a wide variety of topics and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I am used to making myself into an expert.
I believe tech corporations are bad, but you might as well know how to use technology in everyday life. Want more how to content delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the tips and tricks newsletter that I curate twice a week.
My job as how-to guru means I use just about every gadget under the sun, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 11, but also have a very large Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and Apple silicon MacBook. I also have a Google Pixel 6a for personal use and use a Galaxy Z Flip 4 for additional Samsung-related testing. For iOS coverage, an iPhone 13 mini works like a charm, though it’s already becoming a little long in the tooth.
My desktop situation includes a dual monitor setup with a modest Acer monitor. I also use a Logitech mouse (who can use these ThinkPad trackpads) and a Havit keyboard (my first mechanical keyboard; I love it but my wife hates it!). I’m a recent convert from wired headphones; I have Anker Soundcore Liberty Air wireless earbuds for personal use and have taken to the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones for work.
Whenever I have a second to myself, I’m probably gaming on my Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Xbox Series S. I also still have a bunch of classic consoles lying around as well.
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