Fake reviews are always out in force in the world of e-commerce, not just on Amazon. But on Prime Day, when shoppers flock to the retailer, there's an even larger push by companies seeking to feature their products to deploy fake reviews that boost ratings and visibility.
"Companies publish fake reviews ahead of Prime Day because it helps move their products up the product ranking page," a Fakespot representative said. "If anyone is searching for alternatives to Prime Day deals, they will see their products."
For the past two years, the percentage of fake reviews has jumped between June and July, the month of Prime Day. In 2018, that percentage jumped 12 percentage points: from 16 percent fake reviews in June to 28 percent in July.
Fake reviews may not be on the up 'n up, but they are going up. Credit: rachel kraus/mashable
Electronics products on Amazon are rife with fake reviews. Credit: Fakespot
To spot inauthentic reviews, Fakespot says shoppers need to "drill down" into the reviews themselves. Often, we just look at the amount of stars a product has - but Fakespot says this is not necessarily reliable.
"Always check the actual reviews and do not rely on just the summary star rating because that's what sellers who use fake reviews hope you will do," Fakespot said.
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