Five-star fraud: Fake reviews are coming for your wallet

In 2025, online shopping is based on trust, and much of that trust is derived from customer reviews. Most shoppers scroll through star ratings and comments before they add a product to the cart to verify that the product is of quality. Research has shown that more than 95% of consumers read reviews prior to making a purchase, and in categories such as beauty and wellness, reviews often tip the scales in a consumer’s purchase decision.

Five-star phony reviews have flourished as a result of this reliance on reviews. While companies battle unfair advantages from competitors using dishonest tactics, bad actors influence ratings to inflate the ratings of low-quality products. Additionally, consumers now find it more difficult to discern between genuine feedback and fake compliments due to the rise in AI-generated content.

In this article, we will discuss what online consumer review fraud is, the extent and costs of online consumer review fraud, tips on how to spot the signs of online consumer review fraud, and some red flags to look for and tools to help you identify fake reviews as well. Being vigilant will be the difference between getting product quality and falling victim to online review fraud.

The Hidden Cost of Trusting Fake Reviews

A bright five-star fake review may seem harmless to your purchase, but the damage extends far beyond that. Online customer review fraud costs money, breeds consumer distrust, and undermines legitimate businesses’ reputations. 

The Scale of the Problem

• In 2025, fake reviews are estimated to cost global shoppers around $770.7 billion in wasteful spending.
• About 30% of online reviews are suspected to be fake, and nearly half of those are rated five stars.
• Fake reviews are diffusing 12% faster than regular reviews, outpacing efforts to detect them.

Why Shoppers Lose Millions?

Fraudulent sellers capitalize on emotional triggers. Consumers looking to fulfill immediate beauty, wellness or lifestyle needs often trust the review, and do not verify source attribution. Thus:

• Consumers spend too much money for products that do not deliver on promises.
• Health and safety risks increase when we hear good things about beauty products when the feedback is contrived and untested.
• Refunds and/or lodging complaints can be difficult, especially with cross-border e-commerce.

The Broader Ripple Effect

The damage doesn’t end with consumers:

• Authentic businesses lose visibility when fake ratings push poor-quality items to the top of search results.
• Platforms are subject to legal and regulatory scrutiny for failing to protect consumers.
• There is still a long-term erosion of consumer trust in online reviews, with skepticism regarding whether any review is true. 

Placing blind faith in a review has become an expensive risk, and it is necessary that shoppers learn to identify fake reviews online, prior to clicking “buy now.”

Statistics on Fake Reviews 

One of the leading sectors targeted for fraudulent reviews from online customers is the beauty and wellness space. This sector is emotionally driven, reliant on influencer marketing, and features products that provide a visual, permanent change that is almost impossible to validate. 

This customer base is easy prey for a fraudulent seller to take advantage of when the products are promoted through fake customer reviews.

Metric	Industry Insight
Share of fake reviews	An estimated 35–40% of reviews are unreliable, higher than the global average of 30%
Review manipulation	Nearly 46% of fake reviews are inflated five-star ratings
AI-generated reviews	Human accuracy in spotting them is just 50.8%, making fake beauty testimonials harder to detect
Consumer exposure	Over 80% of online beauty shoppers report encountering reviews that seem “too good to be true”
Financial losses	Shoppers spend billions yearly on ineffective or unsafe beauty products boosted by fake praise

Why It Matters

• Skincare, supplements, and weight-loss products are most frequently targeted due to subjective results.
• A single viral fake review campaign can push a product into top search rankings within days.
• Consumers risk not only wasting money but also health issues from unverified or unsafe ingredients.

The beauty & wellness sector shows how dangerous fraud online reviews can be turning simple purchases into high-stakes risks.

Why Beauty & Wellness Are Targeted?

Fraudsters don’t choose industries at random; beauty and wellness products are among the easiest to exploit with fake customer reviews. Several factors make this sector especially vulnerable.

1. High Demand and Emotional Buying Decisions

Consumers frequently buy skin care, cosmetics, and supplements, often in a hurry for solutions to acne, aging, or weight loss. This emotional decision-making increases reliance on glowing five-star fake reviews for affirmation.

2. Easy Manipulation with Photos and Ratings


In the beauty industry, visual marketing is supreme. Merchants have the opportunity to show staged before-and-after images or the influence of an *influencer’s* endorsement next to a baked rating or ratings. When hundreds of positive reviews appear overnight, they create a veneer of credibility.



3. Subjective Results Are Difficult to Verify


In contrast to electronics or appliances, the effectiveness of beauty products is affected by skin type or lifestyle. Fraudsters use this subjectivity to their advantage by making it difficult for consumers to contest faceless, falsified online reviews regarding dramatic changes to their skin or hair.



4. Influencer & Micro-Influencer Culture


Social platforms accelerate beauty trends at an astonishing rate. Paid endorsements and even paid fake reviews entice consumers into a persuasive cycle that is hard to resist.
The combination of emotional urgency, visual attractiveness, and influencer marketing means that beauty and wellness products are fertile ground for review fraud in e-commerce.

Red Flags of Fake Reviews

Not every positive review is reliable. Consumers can take precautionary measures by identifying the most common warning signs of five-star fake reviews. 

What Are The Red Flags?

• Identical wording: Several reviews can have the exact language or identical phrases.
• Overly positive or vague wording: The review says things like “amazing product” or “life-changing,” without the reviewer’s backstory.
• Review spikes in a short time: Hundreds of five-star reviews appear in days after a product launches. 
• A review by a non-verified buyer: The reviews have not been verified as purchased.
• Suspicious reviewer profiles: No profile picture, limited review history, and the reviewer has reviewed many different products unrelated to the product.

Impact on Consumers and Brands

The consequences of online customer review fraud extend far beyond a single disappointing purchase. Both consumers and legitimate businesses suffer when fake feedback dominates platforms.

For Consumers

• Financial Loss: Shoppers spend billions on low-quality or unsafe products, often with little chance of refunds.
• Health & Safety Risks: In beauty and wellness, fake reviews may push unsafe ingredients or untested products.
• Eroded Confidence: Repeated encounters with fake customer reviews make shoppers skeptical about whether any review can be trusted.

For Brands

• Unfair Competition: Genuine businesses are pushed down search rankings while fraudulent sellers rise.
• Damaged Reputation: Even trusted brands can lose credibility if fake reviews appear under their listings.
• Regulatory Scrutiny: New rules in the US, UK, and EU penalize platforms and sellers that fail to manage review fraud in e-commerce.

The Bigger Picture

As fake reviews spread 12% faster than authentic ones, platforms risk losing the trust that drives online shopping. Without trust, even positive, genuine reviews lose influence undermining one of the most important drivers of digital commerce.

The cost is clear: fake reviews don’t just cheat individuals, they threaten the foundation of consumer trust online.

How to Spot Fake Reviews Before Buying

Spotting five-star fake reviews is easier with the right approach. Shoppers can combine observation with technology to separate authentic feedback from fabricated praise.

1. Use Review Analysis Tools & Extensions

• Fakespot – Grades product reviews on Amazon, eBay, and other sites by analyzing patterns.
• ReviewMeta – Adjusts product ratings by filtering out suspicious or low-credibility reviews.
• Plug-ins & AI checkers – Browser extensions that scan reviews for repetition, vague phrasing, or bot-like activity.

2. Check Verified Purchases

• Look for the “Verified Purchase” tag. Reviews without it may be fabricated.
• Prioritize reviews with detailed experiences length, usage time, and photos.

3. Analyze Reviewer Profiles

• Click on the reviewer’s name: Are they reviewing dozens of unrelated items within days?
• Genuine reviewers usually show consistency in product types and provide balanced feedback.

4. Look for Balanced Sentiment

• Real reviews often mention both positives and negatives.
• Reviews that are only glowing or overly harsh are more likely to be fake.

5. Cross-Check Across Platforms

• Compare reviews on Amazon, Sephora, Walmart, or niche beauty sites.
• If ratings differ widely across platforms, that’s a warning sign.

By applying these checks, shoppers can better filter authentic customer feedback from manipulative praise, reducing the risks of falling for online review scams 2025.

Tips for Safe Online Shopping

Shopping safely online takes more than fraud detection systems and online reviews. The following suggestions may help mitigate risk and help keep your bank account secure.

1. Compare Reviews Across Multiple Websites

Check reviews across sites like Amazon, Walmart, and Sephora, as well as brand websites. If there are large discrepancies in ratings, especially low ratings, it could be a sign of possible review fraud in the e-commerce sector. Avoid overpromising packaging and look out for its gapped ratings.

2. Depend on Reliable Review Sources

Only use reputable review sources and independent consumer watchdog sites. Pamphlets, test directors, or lab findings are another method to check the store site if you are buying beauty or wellness products.

3. Look at Negative Reviews

Pay special attention to 3-star and 4-star reviews, as most will contain both good and bad information, and will be based on purchased information.Consistently noted complaints should raise red flags about the product.

4. Research the Seller and Product

Only purchase from authorized sellers or the stores dedicated to the brand. Refrain from including sellers with no brand name, with weak packaging images, or sellers that offer you prices that seem too good to be true.

5. Be Aware of New Laws

In 2025, in the US FTC ban, will add the UK consumer protection act, false reviews could cause fake reviews (legal) to be purchased and sold.Knowing you have rights as a buyer will be an important component.

These habits will help make sure that you are conducting purchases based on actual consumer experiences, rather than fake reviews.

Shoppers Must Stay Alert

Fake five-star reviews have been identified as a primary threat to online consumer trust in 2025. With nearly a third of reviews considered to be inauthentic, our ability to rely on online review platforms puts us at risk for health issues, lost purchases, and increasing suspicion of online shopping. Businesses also risk being unwitting victims of unfair competition and damage to reputation. 

The positive aspect is that consumers are regaining their control through new rules, awareness and tools for detection! Consumers can take proactive steps against online consumer review deception by noticing red flags, verifying reviews and trusting reliable sources, making and informed and safer decision to purchase.