Fake online reviews continue to distort consumer choices and disrupt the e-commerce marketplace, raising concerns about the integrity of digital retail platforms. While major technology companies assert that combating fraudulent reviews is a priority, experts question the effectiveness of these efforts.
Amazon reported blocking hundreds of millions of suspicious reviews in 2025, employing machine-learning technologies to identify and remove fake content. The company has also suspended, banned, and pursued legal action against individuals and entities responsible for producing deceptive reviews, according to spokesperson Gage Knox. Google similarly stated that it removed more than 292 million policy-violating reviews last year and restricted over 782,000 accounts linked to fraudulent activity.
Despite these claims, Emily Osborne, a researcher at the Canadian Shield Institute and author of a recent report on the issue, doubts that major platforms treat fake reviews as a high priority. “A dollar spent on a misrepresented product is still a dollar spent on the platform,” she said in an interview, suggesting that platforms may benefit financially from some level of deception.
The report highlights that between 11 and 15 percent of online reviews for common e-commerce products are estimated to be fake, citing research conducted by the British government. It also points to Amazon’s system of awarding badges to highly rated sellers and products, which may encourage the purchase of fraudulent reviews. Amazon accounted for roughly 40 percent of retail e-commerce sales in Canada in 2023.
Facebook is identified as a hub where sellers and review brokers solicit positive ratings through offers of free products or commissions. These interactions often take place in groups with names related to “Amazon Reviewers,” and some brokers even promote their services through paid advertisements. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, did not respond to requests for comment on the report’s findings.
The report also examines large-scale fake-review brokers such as Skitsolutionbd.com, which offers packages of fabricated reviews for prices ranging from US$35 per review to US$1,000 for bulk orders. The site also advertises services for posting negative reviews against competitors starting at US$20, as well as the removal of unwanted fake reviews for fees up to US$150 each.
Experts warn that fake reviews artificially inflate product ratings, helping substandard goods rank higher in search results and misleading consumers. This practice distorts competition and undermines consumers’ ability to make informed purchasing decisions, according to Osborne.
The consequences for consumers can be severe. Contractors like Integrity Masonry’s David Ford report cases where fraudulent reviews have led to clients being defrauded, including an elderly couple whose driveway was destroyed by a disappearing company. Other dangerous products promoted through false reviews include counterfeit baby car seats and faulty household items, posing potential safety risks.
Fake reviews are also prevalent among professional services such as medical clinics, dental offices, and law firms. The report cites an example involving a Toronto dental clinic that reportedly received over 100 fake five-star reviews in just two days, as documented by former U.S. federal investigator Kay Dean, who tracks fraudulent reviews online.
Artificial intelligence further complicates detection efforts by enabling more sophisticated fabrication of detailed reviews, complete with fabricated images, according to Rajvardhan Oak, a researcher at the University of California, Davis.
Osborne’s report calls for stronger regulatory action, urging governments to impose harsher penalties on fake reviewers and compel platforms to publicly disclose businesses that engage in manipulating reviews. It recommends requiring review-hosting sites to share evidence with professional accreditation bodies when phony reviews are detected.
Canada’s Competition Bureau is investigating Amazon over the issue, including examining whether the company has a vested interest in allowing fake reviews on its platform. While current Canadian laws penalize businesses for purchasing or producing false reviews, it remains unclear whether liability extends to the platforms themselves.
Other countries have implemented stricter policies. Australia bans fake reviews outright, and the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority has concluded several investigations into Amazon, Google, and Meta, sometimes requiring “name and shame” consumer warnings on the websites of companies caught using fake reviews.
Osborne supports these measures, emphasizing the reputational consequences and increased transparency for consumers they bring. “It’s a clear consequence on a business that is reputational, that enhances transparency for consumers,” she said.