How to spot fake reviews before you trust them

The short answer

• Look for patterns, not one clue. No single sign proves that a review is fake. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests reading reviews from several sources, watching for a burst of reviews in a short time, and checking whether a reviewer's account seems to exist only to review one product.
• Use reviews for what they can tell you. Reviews can describe shipping, fit or ease of use. They cannot show whether a supplement works, a device is accurate or a medicine is genuine. For that, look for independent evidence and ask a pharmacist or clinician.
• Know the rule and its limits. Since October 21, 2024, a federal rule has banned businesses from creating fake reviews, buying or using ones they should have known were fake, paying for reviews that must be positive (or negative), and hiding bad reviews while suggesting you see them all. It does not mean every review you see is real.
• Report what you find. Report fake reviews and paid-review offers to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or 877-382-4357. Report harmful or falsely marketed health products to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

What the federal rule bans

The FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) took effect on October 21, 2024. It applies to businesses, not to shoppers. It covers reviews and testimonials, meaning ads that seem to share a real customer's or a celebrity's experience.

What the rule does not do

• It does not cover every trick. A proposed ban on "review hijacking," where reviews of one product are shown as if they were about another, was dropped from the final rule. The FTC can still challenge it as deception: in 2023 a supplement maker, The Bountiful Company, agreed to pay $600,000 after the FTC alleged that it linked new supplements to established ones on Amazon so they shared those products' ratings, reviews and badges.
• It does not ban every reward. A business may offer something for writing a review if it does not require a particular opinion, and FTC guidance says the reward should be disclosed. Asking only satisfied customers for reviews, called review gating, is not specifically banned by the rule, but FTC staff say it could violate the FTC Act.
• It does not make websites check every review. A site that only hosts reviews is not liable under the rule for fakes it did not write or buy.
• It does not give you a right to sue. In December 2025, FTC staff sent warning letters to 10 companies about possible violations; the letters were not findings that the companies broke the rule. Courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations, currently up to $53,088 per violation.

A checklist before you trust the reviews

Use these checks when a purchase matters to your health, safety or budget. One warning sign means look harder; several mean look elsewhere.

Who wrote them?

• Does the reviewer's profile show other reviews, or does it look created for one review of one product? The FTC treats that as a possible sign of a fake.
• Is there a label saying the reviewer got a free product, a discount or payment? Such reviews are allowed when disclosed, but you can give them less weight.
• Who owns the review or comparison site? The FTC notes that some comparison sites are run by manufacturers or are paid to rank products.

When, and how many?

• Did many reviews appear in a short burst, for example right after launch? The FTC lists bursts as a warning sign.

What do they actually describe?

• Do the reviews describe this product? Reviews that mention a different flavor, formula, size or an older model may have been carried over from another listing.
• Do they answer your question? A review about how a cuff fit or how long a battery lasted tells you more than "Great product!" repeated many times.
• What do the 2- and 3-star reviews say? They often show the problems buyers share. Fakes are not always 5 stars: the FTC warns that some fake positive reviews give less than the top rating to seem believable.

What might be missing?

• Can you see negative reviews at all? If a seller's site shows only top ratings, read reviews elsewhere too.
• Did the seller offer you a reward for a 5-star review? That is banned. Keep the card or message.
• Did the seller ask only happy buyers to post, or steer unhappy ones to a private channel? That can make ratings look better than buyers' real experience.
• Are huge follower counts, likes or comments doing the persuading? These can be bought or made by bots.

Spotting fakes by eye has limits: the FTC notes that some fake reviews look real and some real ones look suspicious. The checklist lowers your risk, but it cannot prove that a review is real or fake.

Extra checks for health products

Reviews are especially weak evidence for health products. Someone who felt better may have improved for another reason, may have a different condition from yours, or may not exist. The FDA warns that personal "success" stories are not scientific evidence and are easy to make up. Under FTC guidance, a seller needs scientific evidence for a health claim; even honest testimonials do not replace it.

The two problems can travel together. TruHeight sold supplements marketed to help children and teenagers grow taller. The FTC alleged that it lacked scientific evidence for its height claims, that several thousand five-star reviews on its website were written by employees, and that it offered free or discounted products for five-star reviews. The case ended in a settlement, finalized in July 2026, with a $4 million judgment suspended after a $750,000 payment because the company and its co-founders could not pay more.

Before you buy a supplement, device or other health product, check:

• Does a supplement claim to treat, cure or prevent a disease? Supplements are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease, and the FDA does not approve them before they are sold. A claim that a supplement "supports" a body function must carry a notice that the FDA has not evaluated it.
• Do the claims match the FDA's tip-offs to health fraud? These include one product for many unrelated conditions, personal success stories, quick fixes, "all natural" cures, "miracle" or "secret ingredient" claims, and claims that a cure is being hidden. "Natural" does not mean safe; some such products have contained hidden prescription drug ingredients.
• "Clinically proven" by which study? Ask the seller for it, and ask a pharmacist or clinician whether it applies to you. A label claim is the seller's statement, not proof.
• Who is the "doctor" or "expert"? Under FTC guidance, an expert endorser needs real expertise, must have actually evaluated the product, and must disclose any payment or other connection to the seller. The FTC's Endorsement Guides say an ad that uses actors as "real customers" should make that clear.
• Has the FDA warned about it? Search the product or company name in the FDA's Health Fraud Product Database and its warning letters list. The database includes many weight-loss and sexual-enhancement products found to contain undeclared drug ingredients, but the FDA says it lists only a small fraction of hazardous products, so a missing product is not proof of safety. A warning letter means the FDA believed it found significant violations.
• Does accuracy matter more than satisfaction? Stars cannot tell you whether a home blood pressure monitor reads accurately. A 2023 study in JAMA of popular monitors sold on Amazon sites in 10 countries found the same median rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars, for upper-arm models that had passed an independent accuracy check and for those that had not. See choosing a validated blood pressure monitor.
• Is it a prescription medicine? Glowing reviews of an online pharmacy or telehealth site do not show that it is licensed or that its products are genuine. See how to reduce the risk of counterfeit weight-loss medication and counterfeit medicines and online pharmacies.
• Have you asked your pharmacist or clinician? Do this especially if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are buying for a child. Supplements can interact with some medicines. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine because reviews say a product can replace it.

When the product itself may be fake

A listing with borrowed or bought praise is an easy place to sell a knockoff.

• Price: The FTC warns that brand-name items at unusually low prices may be counterfeit or stolen.
• Seller: Buy health and safety items from the brand, a licensed pharmacy or a retailer you can identify. Search the seller's name with "complaint" or "scam."
• Packaging: U.S. Customs and Border Protection advises checking for broken or missing safety seals, unusual packaging, out-of-date items and false warranty claims. Counterfeit electronics can have faulty power cords that catch fire.
• Payment: A credit card lets you dispute charges for items that never arrived, were wrong or were defective. Avoid sellers who insist on gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency.
• Records: Keep the listing, order confirmation, messages, packaging and any lot number.

To find out whether something you bought has been recalled, see how to check for product recalls.

If a package arrives that you did not order, it may be a "brushing" scam: the FTC explains that the sender may use your name to post a fake review. You do not have to pay for it or return it. Tell the marketplace, change your shopping account passwords, and do not scan any QR code that comes with it.

A worked example

If you write reviews yourself

• Your honest review is protected. Under the federal Consumer Review Fairness Act, a term in a standard, take-it-or-leave-it contract that bars honest reviews, charges a fee for them, or takes the rights to what you write is void. The reviews rule also bars businesses from using groundless legal threats or intimidation to get a review removed.
• Stick to what happened to you. Sites can still remove content that is harassing, shares someone's personal information, is clearly false or is unrelated to the product, and laws against false statements that harm someone's reputation (defamation) still apply.
• Say what you received. If a seller gave you a free product, a discount or payment, say so in your review.
• Report pressure. FTC staff have said that paying customers to change or remove truthful negative reviews may violate the FTC Act. Keep the messages.

Where to report

The FTC adds reports to a database that law enforcement agencies use to build cases; it cannot respond to each report or settle individual disputes, and the California Attorney General cannot act as your personal lawyer. If you lost money, ask your card company or bank about disputing the charge.

Sources

1. 16 CFR Part 465: Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, up to date as of October 20, 2026.
2. Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (final rule), 89 FR 68034 — Federal Trade Commission, Federal Register, August 22, 2024.
3. Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials — Federal Trade Commission, August 14, 2024.
4. The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers — Federal Trade Commission staff, November 2024, last modified May 1, 2025.
5. 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, up to date as of October 20, 2026.
6. FTC Warns 10 Companies About Possible Violations of the Agency’s New Consumer Review Rule — Federal Trade Commission, December 22, 2025.
7. 16 CFR 1.98: Adjustment of civil monetary penalty amounts — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, up to date as of October 20, 2026.
8. FTC Takes Action Against TruHeight for Deceptive and Unsubstantiated Advertising of Supposed Height-Enhancing Supplements for Kids and Teens — Federal Trade Commission, April 13, 2026.
9. FTC Approves Final Order Against TruHeight for Deceptive and Unsubstantiated Advertising of Supplements for Kids and Teens — Federal Trade Commission, July 15, 2026.
10. FTC Charges Supplement Marketer with Hijacking Ratings and Reviews on Amazon.com and Using Them to Deceive Consumers — Federal Trade Commission, February 16, 2023.
11. FTC Approves Final Order against The Bountiful Company in First Case Alleging Hijacking of Online Product Reviews — Federal Trade Commission, April 10, 2023.
12. How To Evaluate Online Reviews — Federal Trade Commission, consumer advice, updated February 28, 2024.
13. Online Shopping — Federal Trade Commission, consumer advice, accessed October 22, 2026.
14. That unexpected package you got could be a brushing scam — Federal Trade Commission, consumer alert, August 20, 2026.
15. Health Products Compliance Guidance — Federal Trade Commission, December 2022.
16. 6 Tip-offs to Rip-offs: Don't Fall for Health Fraud Scams — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of March 4, 2021.
17. Health Fraud Product Database — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, accessed October 22, 2026.
18. Warning Letters — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of October 20, 2026.
19. About Warning and Close-Out Letters — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of March 20, 2024.
20. Report a Problem to the FDA — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of May 11, 2026.
21. Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know — National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, updated January 4, 2023.
22. Picone DS, et al. Availability, Cost, and Consumer Ratings of Popular Nonvalidated vs Validated Blood Pressure–Measuring Devices Sold Online in 10 Countries — JAMA 2023;329(17):1514–1516, May 2, 2023.
23. 15 U.S. Code § 45b: Consumer Review Fairness Act — Legal Information Institute reproduction of the U.S. Code, accessed October 22, 2026.
24. Agencies team up to help consumers shop smart during the holidays — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, accessed October 22, 2026.
25. Report IP Theft — National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, accessed October 22, 2026.
26. Why report fraud? — Federal Trade Commission, consumer alert, November 6, 2020.
27. Consumer Complaint Against A Business/Company — California Attorney General, accessed October 22, 2026.
28. Poison Help — Health Resources and Services Administration, accessed October 22, 2026.