Tips on how to spot a fake online review

Fake reviewers – we’re onto you. There’s nothing worse than trying to see if the hotel you want to book actually IS the ideal getaway location, or if someone’s been paid to talk it up online. Use these tips to decipher between real reviews and fake ones.

Check if the reviewer has reviewed anything else
Most people who are inclined to leave reviews don’t just do it for one particular product of service – and if they only leave one glowing review, it’s a bit suspicious. Beware.

What kind of language are they using?
If you’ve checked to see if they’ve left any other reviews, and the answer is yes, take a look at the way they’re written. Are they oddly similar? If so, this fake reviewer is a big fan of the old copy and paste routine.

How do they refer to the product?
If they keep writing out the product name in full, even when it’s long and awkward, chances are it’s a fake review. They’re just trying to up their SEO points.

What are they talking about?
If it’s a hotel review and they keep banging on about all the activities and family fun you’ll have there, it’s more likely to be fake. A 2013 study by Cornell University found that fake hotel reviewers focus more on this kind of thing, because they think it’s what we want to hear. Normal people tend to focus more on the hotel itself.