Fake Review / Astroturfing
Paying for or posting fabricated positive reviews to deceive consumers about a product or service's true quality.
Also known as: astroturfing, paid reviews, fake testimonials, review manipulation
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Fake reviews are fabricated testimonials posted to create a false impression of a product, service, or seller. Astroturfing—originally a term for manufactured grassroots political campaigns—is applied in commerce to describe coordinated fake-review operations that simulate organic consumer enthusiasm. These reviews are produced by paid review mills, farmed accounts, or incentivized buyers who receive free products in exchange for positive feedback.
Fake reviews distort consumer decision-making, drive purchases of inferior or dangerous products, and unfairly disadvantage honest competitors. They are illegal in many jurisdictions under consumer-protection and advertising-standards laws. Regulators in the US, EU, and UK have fined companies and review brokers for operating such schemes.
Consumers can spot patterns associated with fake reviews: clusters of five-star reviews in a short period, reviewers with no other purchase history, suspiciously similar wording across reviews, or generic praise that avoids specific product details. Tools and browser extensions exist to score review authenticity on major platforms.
Examples
- A seller paid a third-party service to generate hundreds of five-star reviews overnight, causing the product to jump to the top of search results.
- A business directed employees to post positive reviews on review platforms using personal accounts unaffiliated with the company.