fake reviewing

is when merchants and service providers offer rebates and incentives in exchange for positive reviews on sites like Amazon, eBay and Yelp. 

Last year, Fusion journalist Kashmir Hill created a fake business and built an online reputation for it by buying fake reviews. Many algorithms, services and how-tos have come out in an attempt to detect fake reviews, and in June 2016 Amazon sued 3 of its sellers for using sock puppet accounts to post fake reviews about their products.