How to spot fake reviews while online shopping

CINCINNATI — If you’re shopping online, you’re probably checking the reviews to ensure you get your money’s worth. Unfortunately, that might not be enough nowadays as fake online product reviews are becoming a bigger problem.

With holiday shopping just around the corner, it’s important to know how to distinguish the real reviews from the fakes before making your purchase.

WalletHub writer and analyst Chip Lupo said reviews can be very helpful when buying something online.

“It is genuine feedback, it’s almost like you’re talking to a friend,” Lupo said. “You can get that feel from it if you know that reviews are legit.”

Determining if reviews are legit isn’t always so obvious. Lupo has some advice for what you should look out for to spot fake reviews.

Check the review date

“If you’re seeing a lot of reviews in a short period of time, yeah, that might be a red flag,” Lupo said.

Be on the lookout for repetitive language

“If you read 10 reviews and they’re all basically saying the same thing, that could suggest that they’re fabricated,” Lupo said.

Pay attention to the user posting the review

“Fake reviews often have generic names, no profile picture, or just one review,” Lupo said. “So, you want to be on the lookout for that.”

Find out if the person writing the review paid for the product

Businesses offer programs, such as Amazon Vine, where they provide free products to consumers, with the expectation of a review in return.

“That can definitely skew things,” Lupo said.

The programs can be beneficial, but you may want to take mental note of reviewers who didn’t pay for the product. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell.

“The retailer doesn’t always disclose that,” Lupo said. “So you don’t know if the review was based on some sort of an incentive.”

Be on the lookout for “review hijacking”

Review hijacking is when old reviews for different products are used to inflate positive reviews for a new item. Lupo said he’s experienced it firsthand while shopping for a new car.

“You look at the reviews, and you will find that they’re reviewing for a different model year or even a different line of car. So, you have to be very, very careful,” he said.

In August, the FTC announced a new rule prohibiting fake or false consumer reviews.

That’s why if you spot a review think may be fake, you’re encouraged to report it, so you can help out other consumers and so you don’t waste your money.

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