Warning signs of fake reviews
- Lots of short, five-star reviews posted within a few days.
- Reviews that describe a different product, or mention free products “in exchange for an honest review”.
- Very few mid-range (3-star) reviews: real products get mixed feedback.
- Reviewer profiles that review dozens of unrelated products every week.
Warning signs of an undisclosed ad
- Discount codes and “link in bio” with no “ad”, “sponsored” or “paid partnership” label.
- Lots of creators posting near-identical videos about the same product at the same time.
- Only positives, no downsides, and no mention of how long they’ve used it.
The rules
US: the FTC’s rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, in force since October 2024, bans fake reviews and buying positive reviews, and its Endorsement Guides require influencers to disclose material connections. UK: under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, fake reviews are banned outright from April 2025, and the ASA requires ads by influencers to be labelled clearly up front. EU: consumer law bans fake reviews and requires traders to say whether and how they check that reviews come from real buyers.
What to do
- Report suspicious reviews to the platform.
- In the US, report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; in the UK, to Citizens Advice (which passes reports to Trading Standards) or the ASA for ads.
- Use our guide to tech reviewers to find in-depth, long-term reviews.
Last updated: 10 October 2026
