BBB urges caution as fake product reviews become more frequent

JACKSON, Tenn. — Fake reviews have become increasingly more common. The Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau and Amazon are working to combat this issue.

The U.S. Public Interest Group identified five types of fake reviews.

• A review written by the company.
• Someone getting paid to write a fake review.
• A review written by a customer who received a product at no charge.
• Negative reviews generated by competitors or the absence of negative reviews.
• Reviews or endorsements provided in exchange for social media followers or something of similar value.

“The FTC has adopted a new rule that prohibits all of these practices. In July, Amazon and the BBB filed a lawsuit against an illegitimate business called reviewserviceusa.com,” said Toddnetta Trice, communications specialist for the Better Business Bureau.

Nearly 90% of customers read online reviews before buying a product or service, but a high percentage of reviews are fake, make sure that you stay aware of misleading reviews when shopping online.

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