Facebook is ‘flooded with fake review groups paying workers to leave 5 star reviews on Amazon’
FACEBOOK has been slammed for allowing "hundreds" of groups on the social networking site where Amazon sellers offer free products in exchange for five star reviews.
Consumer group Which? joined ten of these Facebook review groups and found 3,511 new posts generated in just one day, and more than 55,000 posts over 30 days.
Its findings come just over a month after the competition watchdog launched a crackdown on these misleading ads.
In June, both Facebook and eBay were told to stop users offering cash for fake reviews by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The CMA said that if fake reviews continue to be a problem, it would look into other ways to tackle the issue, including issuing fines.
But while Which? found the situation had "significantly improved" on eBay - despite one eBay listing advertising five star reviews for sale - it said the same couldn't be said for Facebook.
The problem is that people could potentially be duped into buying poor quality or even unsafe products that have been boosted by disingenuous reviews.
Which? says a number of similar groups appeared on the "suggested for you" page on Facebook during its investigation, which makes it easy to find other fake sites to use.
In addition, admins on groups Which? joined were found listing alternative groups in case the original was shut down.
It's illegal to write or commission fake or incentivised reviews, according to Which? and this can lead to criminal action.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of products and services, said: “Our latest findings demonstrate that Facebook has systematically failed to take action while its platform continues to be plagued with fake review groups generating thousands of posts a day.
"It is deeply concerning that the company continues to leave customers exposed to poor quality or unsafe products boosted by misleading and disingenuous reviews."
How to avoid fake reviews
HERE are some tips from Which? on how to avoid fake reviews.
- Be careful when you shop for brands you don't know: Scrutinise customer reviews even more carefully if you’re looking to buy a brand you don’t recognise, as research has found they are more likely to be affected by fake reviews
- Be suspicious of large numbers of reviews: If you see hundreds or even thousands of reviews – be suspicious, especially if they are largely positive
- Look for repetition: If you see the same review titles, repetitive phrases or the same reviewer name appear more than once, it’s likely that it has been targeted by fake reviews
- Check if the review is unverified or verified: Reviews marked as "verified" are those that Amazon can confirm were purchased at its website, meaning "unverified" reviews could've been written by someone who hasn't even bought the product
- Look at the dates: If large numbers of reviews were posted on the same day, or in a short period of time, it’s likely that they are fake
- Check seller profiles: You should be wary of things such as foreign seller locations, strange business names, a lack of contact details, and of course, negative reviews of the seller
A spokesperson for Facebook said: "We don’t allow people to use Facebook to facilitate or encourage false reviews.
"We have removed nine of the ten groups Which? reported to us and are investigating the remaining group.
"We continue to improve our tools to proactively prevent this kind of abuse, including investing in technology and increasing the size of our safety and security team to 30,000."
An eBay spokesperson added: “We have zero tolerance for fake or misleading reviews and will take action against any sellers who break our polices.
"We welcome Which’s? acknowledgement of the work that we’ve undertaken and continue to work closely with the CMA on this issue.”
Amazon didn't want to comment on the story but said it estimates more than 90 per cent of fake reviews are computer generated.
It adds that it uses a combination of both people and automated technology to prevent and detect these reviews and to take action against the people behind them.
More on money
In April, Which? accused Amazon of only removing a "fraction" of fake reviews posted on its site.
And in similar news, booking sites were found to be conning customers into booking hotels with fake discounts and pressure tactics.
While in January, a hotel was accused of faking top ratings after "terrible" reviews on TripAdvisor.
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