Amazon continues its fight against fake reviews, which abound on its platform but also on social networks. The e-commerce giant announced in a press release that it had filed a complaint on Tuesday, July 19, against the administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook groups that are said to be behind it.
The principle of these groups, which are particularly well organized, is simple: “review brokers” (as Amazon calls them) offer users compensation or a free product, in exchange for a five-star review (the highest rating on the platform).
Thanks to the purchase of the products in question by Internet users (immediately refunded by the corrupt sellers), Amazon shows the review as a “verified purchase”. These groups operate in subsidiaries in several countries: France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States.
dangerous products
If these fake reviews pose a problem, it is in particular because they often promote poor quality, non-compliant and even dangerous products. In 2018, the Washington Post had investigated and identified several products particularly affected by these false comments: wireless headphones and food supplements were the first. Two products that can present many threats to the safety and health of users if they do not comply with the regulations. Finally, sometimes the product just never gets delivered.
The information collected in the wake of this report will be used to better identify and target potential leaders of these groups, who often reform quickly after being banned from the social network.
tens of thousands of people
If Facebook groups are primarily concerned, it is because they can unite up to tens of thousands of people. One in particular, called “Amazon Product Review,” had more than 43,000 members when Facebook shut it down earlier this year.
In June 2021, Amazon published a press release indirectly targeting Facebook and its moderation methods, which it deemed too ineffective against fraudulent practices. The company invited the social network to “team up” with it to stop “fraud attempts and false reviews before they have an impact on [nos] clientele”.
Source: BFM TV
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