Amazon’s online shoppers are being fooled by fake review factories running on multiple Facebook groups.
The scam is supported by several large and small companiesas well as by entrepreneurs who depend on Facebook to spread positive reviewsabout their products listed on Amazon to its 2.6 billion users globally.
Fake reviewers, backed by Amazon sellers, post details aboutthe products on Facebook Groups to influence consumers, the Guardian reportedon Saturday.
Since the reviewers have to really pay for the items, Amazonis fooled into believing that the buyer is genuine but after leaving a glowingreview, the product manufacturing company refunds the purchase price andsometimes also pays an extra fee.
“Which?”, a brand name used by UK-based Consumers’Association, said that “nearly all” of the Facebook groups ituncovered last autumn were still active, the report said. Earlier this week “Which?” claimed thatAmazon’s system was being undermined by a flood of fake five-star reviews forunfamiliar brands.
“Researchers analysed listings of hundreds of popular tech products and found top-rated items were dominated by brands with names such as Itshiny, Vogek and Aitalk, many with thousands of unverified reviews,” the report added.