As wonderful as the internet can be, it lies to us every day. Fake reviews — seemingly legitimate reviews 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 protect you from fraud. If you can’t tell a real review from a scam, I recommend consulting our comprehensive reviews in 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 some tell-tale signs that the review may not be accurate.
What to look for
After years of reading reviews and shopping online, I’ve noticed some patterns in fake reviews. When you’re using Amazon, check out any of the following:
Very short five-star and one-star reviews that lack proper context.
Reviews that don’t use proper grammar or lack natural-sounding language. Some vendors create fake reviews from writers who are not native English speakers.
Reviews that promote a competing product should be ignored, as they may be another vendor hoping to steer you to their product under false pretenses.
If you find a listing with multiple similar reviews posted on the same day, something is wrong.
Overly staged images, over-produced video, or stock photography in a review can be a sign that someone paid to upload it.
If a listing has fewer reviews than a similar product, it’s likely the whole thing is a scam.
Note the reviewer’s name. If it’s too generic or just a random string of letters and numbers, it could be a sign that the review is fake.
Reviews that do not have a Verified Purchase label should be ignored. However, this does not account for schemes that compensate reviewers for legitimate purchases, so be careful.
Is it generated by AI?
It’s possible that AI tools are being used to generate mass reviews on e-commerce sites like Amazon. They try to imitate how humans write, which can lead to some sentence structure and nonsensical rambling. But how do you tell the difference between an 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 enter 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 valid, although it is worth noting that results may 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, giving you a more reliable score for a given listing. But popular tools like Fakespot, ReviewMeta, and TheReviewIndex have disappeared in the past year. TheReviewIndex blamed “Amazon’s policy change”.
That doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Null Fake is an AI-powered review checker that analyzes Amazon listing reviews, assigns a credibility rating, and adjusts the rating by removing reviews deemed questionable. You can read more about how the tool works here.
Recommended by our editors
(Credit: PCMag / Null Fake)
In my testing, I used a listing for the Amazon Echo Dot Max. I submitted the URL to the website, and Null Fake generated its report, along with an AI summary of its findings. It found that 15% of existing reviews were fake, reducing the original 5.0 score to a 4.60 rating adjustment. As a result, Null Fake gave the list a B grade.
Another tool, called FakeFind, also uses AI to analyze a listing’s reviews and assess authenticity, quality and value. It will generate a number grade and also adjust the user rating. Using my test link, it rated the Echo Dot Max 8 out of 10 and adjusted the review rating from 4.3 to 4.2.
(Credit: PCMag / FakeFind)
How to report a fake review
If you find a review that you think is fake, you can report it to Amazon, which will flag it for investigation and possible removal. Click on Report button under Overview, select fake Mark it as “For Paid, Unauthenticated” 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 and How-To
Experience
How to Create Content As PCMag’s editor, I have to cover a variety of topics and make my stories accessible to the everyday consumer. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I’m used to making myself an expert.
I believe tech corporations are bad, but you also know how to use technology in everyday life. Want more on how to get content delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Tips and Tricks newsletter that I create twice a week.
My work as a how-to guru means I use almost 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 huge Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and an 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 getting a little long in the tooth.
My desktop situation involves a dual monitor setup with a modest Acer monitor. I also use a Logitech mouse (which can use this Thinkpad trackpad) and a Havit keyboard (my first mechanical keyboard; I love it but my wife hates it!). I recently switched from wired headphones. I have Anker Soundcore Liberty Air Wireless Earbuds for personal use and Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones for work.
Whenever I have a second, I’m probably gaming on my Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Xbox Series S. I still have a bunch of classic consoles lying around.
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