Follow Your Friends' Advice
First and foremost, don't overlook the power of word of mouth. "There is no replacement for first-hand knowledge and personal recommendations," said Rob Gross, co-founder and COO of Fakespot, a platform that uses data extraction and algorithm engines to detect unauthentic reviews. "Always stick with the brands you know and trust recommendations from your friends who have actually spent their hard earned money and used the product. This reduces the bias from paid reviewers and usually gets you something that you would like."
Check Out the Individual Reviewers
How many product reviews is one person leaving? Are they all 5-star reviews? If someone is reviewing 20 different skincare products in a week and leaving rave reviews for all of them, they've either got a face of steel or it's a fake account.
On the flip side, if you notice that there's only one review per user profile (and especially if they don't have a profile picture), that's also red flag. "This means that someone took the time to create a Sephora account for the purpose of only leaving product reviews," said Gross. It could also mean the person leaving the review might be getting paid for waxing poetic: "In theory, you could automate the entire process, but most likely these 'one-hit wonders' are the result of a review farm campaign run by the brand. Known companies like Influenster run these programs, but lesser-known companies exist that allow brands to keep a low profile."
Look Out For Specific Language In a Review
Put simply: "If a lot of the reviews sound the same, it's a dead giveaway they were given a script and were told to alter a few things here and there." (Note that there was a similar template Sunday Riley allegedly sent out to its employees.) Rarely do they tweak their verbiage, Gross added: "Fake reviewers just want to keep getting free products and gift cards."
Even if they don't sound the same, there are a few good indicators of a fraud. Ask yourself: Is the glowing review sprinkled with keywords? For example, if you're looking for reviews on a face cream and you notice repeat phrases or words like "hydrating" as well as "moisturising," make note of that.