ASAAnti-Scam Arsenal

Fake-review detector

Paste product or business reviews. We look at phrasing, timing cues, superlative patterns, and disclosure signals — not star counts — to estimate authenticity.

0 chars

How to spot fake reviews yourself

The patterns below work on any platform — even when you don't have a tool handy.

General signals

  • • Read the 3-star reviews first. 5-star reviews skew toward shills, 1-star toward competitors or returns rage. 3-star reviews are where honest mixed experiences live.
  • • Check reviewer profiles. Accounts that have only 5-star reviews across unrelated products are almost always paid posters.
  • • Look for specific details about use. "I used this for 3 weeks on my tile floor and the grip held" is harder to fake than "AMAZING PRODUCT!!!"
  • • Dates clustered together? Dozens of 5-star reviews in the same week, then nothing, usually means a review-farm campaign.
  • • Mentions of free/discounted product without the FTC-required "I received this product for free in exchange for my review" disclosure should be treated as compromised.
  • • Reviews that read like product descriptions are copy-pasted from marketing.

Platform-specific tips

  • Amazon

    Filter to "Verified Purchase" only. Sort by "Most Recent" to see if ratings have shifted after hijacked listings. Check reviewmeta.com or fakespot.com for a second opinion on the listing's overall authenticity.

  • Google Maps / Google Business

    Click the reviewer's name — see their other reviews. Guides and long-term locals are more trustworthy than accounts with one or two all-time reviews. Watch for sudden bursts of 5-stars after a complaint.

  • Yelp

    Scroll to the bottom of a business page and click "Not Recommended Reviews" — Yelp hides reviews its algorithm thinks are paid or retaliatory. Those are often the most revealing.

  • TripAdvisor

    Look for management responses. A business that engages with critical reviews thoughtfully is almost always more legit than one that either ignores or demands review removal.

  • App stores (iOS / Google Play)

    Watch the review trend over time. Apps that shift from 4.8 to 3.2 after an update are usually more honestly rated than a flat 4.9 over years.

Review manipulation violates the FTC's endorsement guides and most platforms' terms. If you're sure a listing is faking reviews, report it to the platform and (for US listings) to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.