Fake Reviews

Fake review bots are used to manipulate online ratings by posting fraudulent positive or negative reviews on e-commerce sites, app stores, and service platforms. Attackers deploy these bots to inflate their own ratings or damage a competitor’s reputation, misleading potential customers. Fake reviews can also be used for SEO manipulation, pushing certain products or services to higher visibility while burying legitimate competitors. This practice is common in retail, hospitality, app marketplaces, and local business listings.

Impact

Fake reviews undermine consumer trust by creating a misleading perception of product quality or service reliability. Businesses with artificially boosted ratings gain an unfair advantage, while victims of negative review campaigns suffer lower sales and brand damage. Regulatory bodies in many countries have introduced legal consequences for fake review schemes, with platforms imposing bans and fines on offenders. Additionally, users who feel deceived by manipulated ratings may avoid purchasing from the affected brand in the future.

Example

A new restaurant receives a wave of one-star reviews within hours of opening, despite having barely served any customers. A competitor has deployed fake review bots to lower its overall rating and discourage potential diners. Similarly, an online seller may flood their own product page with five-star reviews, creating the illusion of superior quality. Consumers who purchase the falsely promoted product may leave genuine negative reviews, further complicating the brand’s reputation.

Mitigation

To combat fake reviews, platforms use AI-driven detection, user verification, and review moderation tools. Businesses can implement purchase verification systems, ensuring only real customers leave reviews. IP monitoring and behavioural analysis help detect and remove bot-generated content. Encouraging genuine customer engagement, such as verified buyer reviews and user-generated content, strengthens trust and mitigates the influence of fake review campaigns.