Fake reviews

Fraud has become a business model. Reviews influence billions in spending — and bad actors have taken notice.

📉 The trust crisis in numbers:

  • 67% of consumers are concerned about review fraud (AgilityPR, 2021)

  • 85% say they’ve read reviews that felt “sometimes or often fake” (Sift, 2019)

  • Google removed 55 million fake reviews in 2020

  • TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Facebook also report large-scale review fraud

Fake reviews often result from:

  • Astroturfing — fake reviews written to boost or attack a business

  • Review bombing — mass negative campaigns to punish venues

  • Paid reviews — ratings in exchange for perks or money

The economic damage is enormous: Fake reviews distort over $152 billion in online spending each year (World Economic Forum)

It’s not just misleading — it’s an invisible tax on trust.

🔒 How WeRate Fights Fake Reviews

WeRate introduces a multi-layered approach to authenticity:

  • ✅ Proof-of-Location Reviews must originate near the venue, with GPS verification

  • ✅ Biometrics & device validation Confirm reviewer identity in a privacy-conscious way

  • ✅ AI-powered ticket scanning (soon) Validate check-ins via receipts or event proof

  • ✅ Immutable storage (soon) Reviews are hashed and stored on-chain

  • ✅ Incentive alignment Users earn for authenticity — not for volume, hype, or manipulation

Fake reviews thrive when there's no cost. WeRate adds friction, consequences, and rewards for truth.

PreviousRapidly growing industryNextReview bias

Last updated