LOOK
LOOK AT
LOOK AT PRODUCT REVIEWS BEFORE YOU BUY SOMETHING.
BUT WHAT IF THEY WERE FAKE?
IN TONIGHT'S TAKE CARE OF YOUR
MONEY, PHONY FIVE-STAR
REVIEWS, JUST HOW COMMON ARE
THEY?
THEY?
THEY? AND
THEY? AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO BETTER
SPOT THEM.
>>>
>>> WIRELESS EARBUDS, REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS, WICKED COOL TANK
TOPS, THESE PRODUCTS WERE
OFFERED TO US FREE OF CHARGE
AS LONG AS WE GAVE THEM A FIVE
STAR REVIEW.
STAR REVIEW. IT'S ALL PART OF THE VAST
UNDERGROUND BLACK MARKET OF
FAKE AMAZON REVIEWS.
>> HOW IMPORTANT ARE REVIEWS?
>> REVIEWS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
>> Reporter: WILL IS CHIEF
MARKETING OFFICER AT AN AMAZON
CONSULTING FIRM.
CONSULTING FIRM. HE SAYS BIG REVIEWS CAN MEAN
BIG MONEY.
BIG MONEY. >> iPHONE CHARGER, THERE MAY
BE 30,000 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS
TO CHOOSE FROM AND SO ALL YOU
HAVE TO FALL BACK ON IS
REVIEWS.
REVIEWS.
REVIEWS. >> Reporter: WE CERTAINLY DO.
ACCORDING TO PEW RESEARCH HALF
OF ALL AMERICANS UNDER 50
YEARS OLD ROUTINELY CHECK
ONLINE PRODUCT REVIEWS AND
THEY WORK.
THEY WORK. A STUDY SHOWED JUST A ONE STAR
INCREASE IN AVERAGE RATING CAN
LEAD TO A 26% BOOST IN SALES
AND IT'S THAT KIND OF
PURCHASING POWER THAT HAS
CREATED THE BLACK MARKET FOR
FAKE REVIEWS.
FAKE REVIEWS. AMAZON BAND INCENTIVIZED
REVIEWS IN 2016 AND THE
COMPANY ROUTINELY HUNTS FOR
FAKE ONES.
FAKE ONES. EVEN SUING SELLERS WHO TRY IT.
BUT WE FOUND DESPITE THIS, THE
PHONY FIVE-STAR BUSINESS IS
STILL BOOMING.
STILL BOOMING. WE GAINED ACCESS TO TWO
PRIVATE AMAZON REVIEW GROUPS
ON FACEBOOK AND IN MINUTES
ROLLED THROUGH HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF
PRODUCT SOLICITORS WILLING TO
REFUND A PURCHASE FOR A FAKE
REVIEW.
REVIEW.
REVIEW. AND IN SOME CASES OFFER A
COMMISSION ON TOP OF IT.
HERE IS WHAT WE FOUND.
IN THESE GROUPS, YOU PICK OUT
THE PICTURE OF THE PRODUCT YOU
WANT, I PICKED A PICTURE OF
BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES.
BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES. AND WAS ASKED TO MESSAGE THE
SELLER ON FACEBOOK CHAT.
I ASKED DO YOU REIMBURSE FOR
REVIEWS?
REVIEWS?
REVIEWS? HE SAID YES.
FULL REFUND AFTER REVIEW.
I ASKED WHAT KIND OF REVIEW
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
HE SAID FIVE-STAR REVIEW.
ANOTHER SELLER OFFERED A BACK
MASSAGER SAYING REFUND WHEN
YOU RECEIVE IT.
NEED FIVE-STAR REVIEW WITH
PICTURE.
PICTURE.
PICTURE. I ASKED IS THAT LEGAL?
SHE RESPONDS, IT'S NOT AGAINST
THE LAW.
THE LAW.
THE LAW. I ENDED UP PURCHASING THIS
STUFF WITH THE PROMISE OF
GETTING A FULL REFUND IN
EXCHANGE FOR A FAKE FIVE-STAR
REVIEW.
REVIEW.
REVIEW. OF COURSE WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY
REVIEW THE PRODUCT BECAUSE OUR
ATTORNEYS CONFIRMED THAT'S
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL.
ILLEGAL. HOWEVER, IT BROUGHT UP AN
INTERESTING QUESTION.
INTERESTING QUESTION. HOW MANY REVIEWS ON AMAZON ARE
ACTUALLY FAKE AND HOW CAN YOU
TELL THE DIFFERENCE?
>> IT'S NOT EVERY PRODUCT BUT
SOME HAVE A BIG PROBLEM.
>> Reporter: TOMMY NOONAN
FOUNDED THE WEBSITE REVIEW
META.COM.
META.COM.
META.COM. IT'S A TOOL THAT FILTERS OUT
POTENTIALLY FAKE REVIEWS AND
GIVES YOU AN ADJUSTED SCORE ON
THAT PRODUCT.
THAT PRODUCT. WHILE AMAZON REPORTS THAT LESS
THAN 1% OF ITS REVIEWS ARE
FAKE, NOONAN'S DATA HAS IT
MUCH HIGHER.
MUCH HIGHER. >> ABOUT SEVEN TO 11% OF
REVIEWS ON AMAZON APPEAR TO BE
UNNATURAL.
UNNATURAL. >> Reporter: ACCORDING TO DATA
FROM REVIEW META, NEARLY HALF
OF ALL REVIEWS IN THE
HEADPHONES CATEGORY ARE
UNTRUSTWORTHY.
UNTRUSTWORTHY. 37% OF ALL CELL PHONE
ACCESSORY REVIEWS.
ACCESSORY REVIEWS. EVEN PEST-CONTROL REVIEWS HAVE
RED FLAGS.
RED FLAGS. GET THIS, IN ONE MONTH LAST
YEAR, NOONAN'S SITE FOUND
700,000 FAKE REVIEWS FOR
SCREEN PROTECTORS.
SCREEN PROTECTORS. NEARLY HALF A MILLION FOR
EARBUDS.
EARBUDS.
EARBUDS. >> HOW CAN YOU SPOT A FAKE
REVIEW?
REVIEW?
REVIEW? YOU COULD USE REVIEW META.
I FOUND IT TO BE FAST, EASY
AND FREE.
AND FREE.
AND FREE. OTHERWISE YOU CAN DO WHAT HE
DOES.
DOES.
DOES. >>
DOES. >> TO SORT BY NEGATIVE REVIEWS
AND LOOK AT THE ONE STAR
REVIEWS AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY.
LOOK AT THE TIMEFRAME IN WHICH
THE REVIEWS ARE LEFT TO MAKE
SURE THEY ARE NOT ALL LEFT
WITHIN A ONE CHUNK OF TIME
THAT THEY ARE SPREAD OUT.
AND THEN LASTLY CLICK ON THE
REVIEWERS PROFILE.
REVIEWERS PROFILE. AND SEE DO THEY HAVE A PATTERN
OF LEAVING ONLY POSITIVE
REVIEWS OR ONLY NEGATIVE
REVIEWS OR ARE THESE ACTUALLY
LEGITIMATE PEOPLE BUYING THESE
PRODUCTS?
PRODUCTS?
PRODUCTS? >> Reporter: REACHED OUT TO
AMAZON FOR COMMENT ON THE
BLACK MARKET, THEY SAID IN
PART TO POLICE THESE
FRAUDULENT REVIEWS, WE USE
POWERFUL MACHINE LEARNING
TOOLS AND SKILLED
INVESTIGATORS TO ANALYZE OVER
10 MILLION REVIEW SUBMISSIONS
WEEKLY.
WEEKLY.
WEEKLY. AIMING TO STOP ABUSIVE REVIEWS
BEFORE THEY ARE PUBLISHED.
THEY ALSO SAID THEY WORK WITH
OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES
TO FIND BAD ACTORS.
TO GET ALL THIS INFORMATION
AND SEE HOW, THE HOW-TO VIDEO
WE MADE CONTACT REVIEW TO
(763)797-7215.
(763)797-7215. WE WILL SEND YOU A LINK.
ALSO I FOUND THIS OUT
YESTERDAY, AMAZON IS DOING
SOMETHING ELSE.
SOMETHING ELSE. A ONE TOUCH REVIEW OPTION.
NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE A
COMMENT, JUST CLICK THE STAR
RATING IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED A
PRODUCT.
PRODUCT.
PRODUCT. AMAZON WANTS TO MAKE IT EASIER
BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY REVIEWS
PRODUCTS.
PRODUCTS.
PRODUCTS. OTHER EXPERTS BELIEVE WITH
MORE PEOPLE REVIEWING, IT WILL
DROWN OUT THE FAKE ONES.
>> IT'S GREAT TO KNOW THERE
ARE TOOLS YOU CAN USE BECAUSE
HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO TELL
IF SOMEONE IS LEGITIMATE OR
NOT?
NOT?
NOT? >>
NOT? >> OR