See a Fake Online Review – Report it to the FTC

The “Review Inflation” Trap: Protecting Employees from Fake Testimonials

As security awareness professionals, we know that trust is the primary currency of the internet. Unfortunately, that trust is being heavily devalued by a flood of fraudulent feedback. From AI-generated praise to paid negative reviews used to sabotage competitors, the “Review Inflation” scam is everywhere.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently stepped in with a new rule banning fake reviews, empowering consumers to report deceptive practices. For our training programs, this is an opportunity to move beyond “don’t click links” and teach our teams how to vet the information they use to make purchasing and business decisions.

Guidance to Encourage in Your Training and Awareness Programs

To help your workforce navigate the dark side of e-commerce, prioritize these actionable defense strategies:

• Identify the “Anatomy of a Fake”: Teach employees to look for reviews that are overly extreme (purely five-star or one-star) without offering specific details about the product’s performance. Brief, generic praise posted in “bursts” on the same day is a major red flag.

• Leverage Third-Party Audit Tools: Don’t rely on the platform’s aggregate score alone. Encourage the use of tools like Fakespot, ReviewMeta, or TheReviewIndex. These tools analyze language patterns and reviewer history to provide an adjusted, “honest” rating.

• The “Verified Purchase” Filter: Advise staff to prioritize reviews with a “Verified Purchase” label. While not foolproof (as some sellers compensate buyers for reviews), it adds a necessary layer of friction for scammers.

• Empower the “Reporter” Mindset: When employees encounter a review they believe is fake—especially if it feels like a scam testimonial—they should be encouraged to report it directly to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. This helps the regulator build cases against companies buying or selling fake influence.

• Beware the AI Polish: Remind your team that AI can now generate millions of human-sounding reviews daily. If a review sounds “too perfect” or follows a repetitive structure across different products, it may be the work of an automated bot.

By integrating these tips into your next scam or fraud module, you help your employees protect their personal finances and reinforce the critical thinking skills necessary to protect the organization from broader social engineering.

Read the full breakdown on reporting fake reviews here: See a Fake Online Review – Report it to the FTC