Amazon Marketplace is awash with fake five-star reviews as unscrupulous businesses sell misleading write-ups in bulk, an investigation has revealed.
One German-based group provides glowing reports about products at a cost of £620 for 50, or £8,000 for a bundle of 1,000, Which? found.
The consumer watchdog uncovered a “thriving industry”, with potentially hundreds of thousands of fabricated recommendations appearing on the internet sales platform.
Individual fake reviews were available for as little as £5.
Which? looked at 10 sites offering online shoppers free goods or cash and discounts in exchange for inflated reports.
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Some even claim they can secure items a coveted Amazon Choice endorsement in a fortnight.
Rogue sites advise contributors about how to avoid arousing suspicion on Amazon, said Which?
Tricks include waiting four days before posting a write-up, using at least two sentences and placing an image or video alongside the report.
The watchdog is calling for a crackdown on false online reviews, which regulators say influence £23billion worth of purchases a year in Britain.
Its services chief Natalie Hitchins said: “Our study shows that Amazon faces an uphill fight with a relentless fake reviews industry geared toward misleading consumers.
“But it and other online platforms must do more to prevent this infiltration of their sites so consumers can trust reviews’ integrity.”
Amazon said: “We continue working to protect the authenticity of customer reviews.
“We remove fake ones and take legal action against anybody found to be involved in abuse.
“But we and other online retailers cannot do this alone.
“The systematic manipulation of product reviews needs consistent enforcement and global co-ordination, with stronger powers given to regulators against offenders.”
