How to spot fake reviews on Amazon and other sites online

With the holidays around the corner, I’m gearing up for a whole lot of online shopping between now and Christmas. And while I’m glad the FTC is finally cracking down on fake and paid reviews, let’s be real — it’s not going to catch every bogus review out there.

So, here’s my go-to guide for spotting fake reviews and finding the real deal before you hit “Buy Now.”

Step 1: Use a site that does it for you

Fakespot vets reviews on Amazon, Walmart, eBay and lots of other sites and shows you how they score. I love that it gives you a letter rating. Anything graded C or below screams “Walk away!” to me. The best part? Fakespot’s free.

There’s another site like Fakespot called ReviewMeta. Instead of a letter grade, ReviewMeta shows an adjusted rating for the product, removing what it considers to be fake reviews.

You can use it for free by simply pasting the Amazon URL into ReviewMeta’s website or installing their browser extension.

(Btw, I love those Souper Cubes! They make a great gift, too.)

Step 2: Use your noggin

Fakespot and ReviewMeta aren’t foolproof. The AI they use is getting smarter, but so is the AI churning out sham reviews. Here are some tricks to try:

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We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

5 things that make you a target online

Too many people share just about everything online. That’s a one-way ticket to Scamtown. Some info makes you an especially prime target. Keep these close to the vest.

Widows and widowers are big targets. Crooks want to get their grimy hands on inheritance money. Take Rosalie Douglass, who tried her hand at online dating and listed “widow” as her relationship status. Two different scammers connected with Rosalie and swindled her out of a staggering $430,000.

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Drop the drop shippers: On Etsy, the whole purpose is to buy something handmade. If you’re not sure what you’re getting is legit, check if it’s genuine or mass-produced junk by doing a reverse image search. Click on the item’s image, then drag and drop it into Google Images. Major red flag: You see the exact same thing on other sites.

How to spot AI-generated fakes

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It’s not just about spotting Photoshop edits anymore. Now, we can’t even be sure if the person in a photo or video is real.

🚨 Be smart; don’t put anything in your cart: A Chinese fraud network is using thousands of fake online stores to steal credit cards. They’re impersonating brands like The North Face, Ikea and Wayfair with (fake) massive discounts. Red flags? Many sites have “blackfriday” in the domain name and end with .shop, .store, .vip or .top.

Weight loss drugs sold online can make you sick

“Drop 10 pounds before Thanksgiving!” That’s all over my social media feeds because I was a dope and clicked on a video of a gal showing off her svelte new figure.

Ads for Ozempic and other weight loss meds are everywhere. The weight loss drug biz is a $100 billion industry. I know a bunch of people who have taken Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus or one of the other options, and I bet you do, too.

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AI fakes are everywhere – How to spot them

Tom Hanks isn’t trying to sell you a dental plan. YouTuber MrBeast won’t give you an iPhone 15. CBS News host Gayle King isn’t recommending a weight-loss product.

I knew this stage of AI tomfoolery was coming, but it’s still surprising how fast it’s happening. Let’s take a closer look at how free and cheap tools fuel fraud — and the signs to watch for.

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🚨 “Are Bengal cats legal in Australia?” Type that into Google Search and you’re in trouble. Hackers are creating fake websites and hijacking real ones to land at the top for popular search terms. No kidding, cat sites are a big target. Once you’re there, the goal is to get you to download a zip file. Safety first: Never download anything from a website you stumbled upon.

🚨 FBI alert: Fake videos are all over social media! One video claims the FBI busted three groups for “ballot fraud,” while another drags in Kamala Harris’ husband. There’s even a phony clip with people supposedly from Haiti claiming to vote illegally in Georgia counties. These are designed to mess with our trust in elections, so keep an eye out and don’t fall for it!

Spot a fake review online? You can now report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. This includes sham testimonials, AI-generated comments and marketers using bots to inflate their follower counts. The penalty? Up to $51,744 per violation!

You can’t spell “crypto” without “C-R-Y”: The FBI created a fake cryptocurrency to nail pump-and-dump fraudsters. That’s where they inflate a crypto’s price with phony trades, convince others to buy, then cash out before the crash. The FBI set up a slick website, and shady companies took the bait. Now, 18 people and companies face fraud and market manipulation charges. But there are thousands more out there.

🔎 Real deal or cheap knockoff? You find a great dress, pair of shoes, wallet or whatever online. Is it a nicely made piece or something you could buy in bulk on Alibaba? One easy way to check: Do a reverse image search. Upload a saved pic here on Google Images and see if you can spot the exact product elsewhere.

🙏 Please be cautious about falling for heartbreaking, AI-generated images like this one circulating on social media after Hurricane Helene. Use this site to detect AI-generated images: https://hivemoderation.com/ai-generated-content-detection

Apple’s next big idea: Robot butlers

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Picture an AI smarty-pants to wash the dishes, clean the house and video chat with you when you’re not home. Plus, fakes on Facebook, no more sharing Disney+ passwords, and Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. 

Trump fakes are coming – How to spot them

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Former President Donald Trump was found guilty in a hush-money trial. You can bet hackers and scammers are already figuring out how to take advantage. 

🌼 Bogus bloom: Chinese scammers are selling fake seeds on eBay for “cat’s eye dazzle.” News flash: Flowers that look like cats don’t exist. These AI-generated fakes are going for $45 and up. Older folks are the main targets. Similar phonies have been spotted on imseeds.com, gardenerstar.com, foundseed.com and dailyrosy.com.

ChatGPT apps: The good, the bad and the scammy

I’ve been warning you for months to avoid anything claiming to be an official ChatGPT app since it wasn’t here yet. Good news: The ChatGPT app is now live, and you can download it … if you have an iPhone. (Open AI says the Android app is coming soon.)

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3 ways to spot AI imagery

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Anyone can make art with AI tools — including scammers. In 60 seconds, I’ll help you sniff out fakes.

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