Fake reviews provided to about 100 businesses in total, CCS to continue probing other businesses
In the largest investigation to date on fake online reviews, 45 businesses caught using such services have been told to publish a public apology for six months, among other undertakings.
They were among 100 businesses that had bought fake reviews from a local provider, said the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) in a media release on Wednesday (30 Sept).
Source: rawintinpin on Canva
Websites offered & provided fake reviews from 2023
According to CCS’ investigations, the businesses had procured fake review services from a company named Reputifly, which and owns and operates the websites BuyReviewSG and GetReviewSG.
Reputifly’s sole director was identified as Mr Julian Tung Yan Kai.
Starting from 2023 at the latest, the websites offered and provided fake reviews that were posted on online platforms such as Google, Facebook, Tripadvisor, Carousell, Yelp and Trustpilot.
These fake reviews were offered in packages of various prices.
Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore
Provider recruited people to post fake reviews
To post the fake reviews, the fake review provider recruited actual people over Telegram, CCS said.
It would offer to pay these individuals for simply posting prepared content and ratings.
Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore
They were also instructed to avoid posting duplicate reviews to reduce the risk of detection.
Fake reviews written using AI
The reviews themselves were written using artificial intelligence (AI), which was prompted to generate reviews that resembled actual customer experiences.
AI was also tasked to vary writing styles and sentence structures, incorporate a Singapore context and other details, and introduce natural imperfections.
Before the reviews were posted, businesses who bought the service could edit them.
Alternatively, the fake reviews could be supplied by the businesses themselves.
CCS noted that the fake reviews were presented as genuine customer reviews, adding:
Consumers could reasonably have been misled into believing that these businesses or their products and services were more popular or positively received than they actually were.
45 businesses admit to buying fake reviews
In the first phase of the investigation, CCS probed Reputifly and 47 of its clients.
Out of the 47, 45 businesses admitted to procuring and buying fake reviews, some or all of which were posted on online review platforms. They are:
Reputifly admitted to generating fake reviews, recruiting and paying reviewers, and taking steps to make the reviews appear authentic — in effect aiding and abetting unfair practices, CCS said.
Many businesses & provider have posted public apologies
To make amends, the 45 businesses and Reputifly have promised to publish prominent public apologies, among other undertakings, CCS said.
For the businesses, their apologies must be posted for six months on their websites, official social media accounts and at their physical premises or outlets, while Reputifly’s apology should be on its website for six months.
Checks on the businesses’ social media accounts showed that several of them have already posted their apologies.
Source: Torio Japanese Restaurant on Facebook and Harmony Funeral Care on Facebook
Source: Chrysalis Spa Singapore on Facebook and Aqua Luxe Singapore on Facebook
Similarly, Reputifly’s website also carries a public apology.
Source: Reputifly
Businesses & provider commit to ceasing unfair practices
Other undertakings they have committed to include ceasing to procure or post fake reviews and other unfair practices, or in Reputifly’s case, ceasing to provide fake review services and facilitate unfair practices.
The 45 businesses must also:
- identify and remove fake reviews relating to their businesses
- report their progress to CCS
- strengthen their compliance measures
Meanwhile, Reputifly has voluntarily committed to donate the proceeds from its fake review services to an Institution of a Public Character of its choice.
CCS to continue investigating other businesses
As for the remaining two businesses, they declined to provide undertakings on CCS’s required terms, CCS said.
As such, CCS will continue probing them and take firmer enforcement action against them if the facts support this.
CCS has also started the second phase of the investigation, which not only encompasses the remaining businesses but also other businesses that may have procured fake review services from Reputifly.
CCS called on other fake review providers and their clients to come forward voluntarily, as they will be “viewed favourably” due to their cooperation when CCS starts formal investigations against them.
Voluntary disclosure can be made at https://go.gov.sg/ccsresponse.
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Featured image adapted from Harmony Funeral Care on Facebook and rawintinpin on Canva.
