Have you been duped by fake reviews?

Some 88% of UK shoppers check the reviews before making any online purchases, and 72% trust them as much as they do personal recommendations from friends. Before we book a hotel, visit a restaurant or buy anything from a games console to a toaster, we're bound to check what other people thought of it. The question is whether you can believe what you read.

Amazon announced in October that it was suing 1,000 people that it said were posting fake reviews - in many cases they were offering to do so in return for cash. It offered a small glimpse into a huge business of fake reviewing. And while those 1,000 people may be paying the price, there are still thousands of fakers out there who could lead you astray.

Matt Eames, CCO of review engine Feefo says: "Sadly, whilst it is very difficult to put an exact figure on it, it's believed that anywhere up to 25% of online reviews are fake (according to figures from Yelp)."
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Spot the fakes

Fortunately, he says, it is possible to spot a fake review because there are five telltale signs.

1. Language
Most genuine reviews are moderate, so if they are overwhelmingly positive or negative, without referencing anything specific, this may ring alarm bells.

2. Industry specific jargon
Jargon or overuse of specific names of products or models is another telltale sign. It means it's likely to have been written by someone within the industry rather than an impartial consumer.

3. Emotion
Real reviews normally include emotion and talk about the value of a product or service to the individual. If a review dispassionately talks about features without any emotion - or reference to how they use it in their life - the chances are that it's a fake.

4. Check the reviewer
If the reviewer has left more than one review, check them out. If all their reviews sound the same, it's a sign they may be fake. Likewise, if they've only left one review, they may not be legitimate.

5. Frequency of reviews
If a company has recently received a large increase in reviews, especially if they're a string of positive or negatives, then that could be a sign they're fake

Unsurprisingly, as the CCO of Feefo, a service that only allows verified customers to leave reviews, in addition to keeping an eye out for the fakes, he suggests: "Wherever possible, only trust reviews that can only be left following a verified purchase. Failing that, if a product or service has overwhelmingly positive or negative reviews, take to social media or your search engine of choice for a second opinion."

But what do you think? Do you trust online reviews? Let is know in the comments.