How to spot fake reviews on Amazon

Prepare for Prime Day next week!

View in browser  |  Your newsletter preferences By Simon Hill | 07.09.24 As the leading online retailer in the US and the UK, Amazon sells just about everything. And with Prime Day approaching next week (July 16 and 17)—whether you are shopping for a cheap portable charger, eco-friendly cleaning supplies, or headphones for your kids—Amazon is likely going to be your first stop. When it's time to choose between similar-looking products, most folks rely on user reviews. The trouble is that many Amazon reviews are fake. Unscrupulous or desperate sellers pay for glowing reviews, and some offer gift cards or free products in exchange for five-star ratings.  Occasionally, sellers will even solicit false negative reviews on competing products. It's tough to identify with certainty what's real, but you can reduce the risk of being conned when you know the warning signs. We've compiled some tips that can help. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. How to Spot Fake Reviews on Amazon With fierce competition among third-party sellers, it can be tough to find genuinely good products. These tips can help. ADVERTISEMENT You Might Also Like Inside the Underground Market for Fake Amazon Reviews Seedy scam networks are using social media to organize campaigns that influence product ratings. They're a headache for shoppers—and tough to crack down on. Amazon Wants Brands to Fight Fake Products Themselves Getting Amazon to take down counterfeit product listings can be a pain. With Project Zero, the company wants to streamline that process—by playing a smaller role in it. How to Avoid Scams and Shoddy Wares on Amazon Amazon is a mucky mess of ads, unknown sellers, misleading sales, and specious information. Defend your dollars with these tips and tricks on Amazon Prime Day. The 17 Best Early Amazon Prime Day Deals Prime Day falls on July 16 and 17, but we've handpicked deals on WIRED-tested products—from tech to blenders to hair straighteners—sitting at some of their lowest prices ever. GET WIRED Unlock full tech coverage during our exclusive Fourth of July Sale. For a limited time, subscribe to WIRED for only $30 $5. Plus free stickers! Subscribe Now. Thanks for reading. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here. Plus, browse more newsletters from WIRED. You're receiving this email because you signed up for the Gadget Lab newsletter from WIRED.   Manage your preferences  |   View our Privacy Policy  |  Unsubscribe   Have questions or comments? Send us a message. Need help? Contact us.   Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.