CHARLOTTE — Nicole Betts is a stay-at-home mom and is always looking for ways to make – or save – a few bucks.
She says she’s received dozens of products for free simply by leaving an honest review, like one that she recently left for a stain remover on TikTok.
“I’ve gotten a lot of beauty products, skin care products, protein powder, hair care products,” Betts tells Channel 9′s Erika Jackson.
“If I don’t like a product, I won’t rate at five stars. I’m 100% truthful,” Betts says, adding that she’ll leave written reviews on websites like Amazon or post product tutorials on TikTok.
“There’s certain requirements. And I can make money from the sales that come from those videos,” Betts says.
Dr. Cori Faklaris, with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, says reviews are a social signal for us: “We are figuring out what we want to make a decision about.”
Dr. Faklaris teaches students about trustworthy computing at UNC Charlotte. And she’s quick to acknowledge – not every online review is trustworthy.
“I’m amazed at the flood of information that comes at us every day and how much of it is sketchy or suspicious,” Dr. Faklaris says.
The Federal Trade Commission issued a rule last year banning reviews attributed to people who don’t exist, or users who don’t have experience with the business.
It also prohibits reviews generated by artificial intelligence. Even though AI reviews are illegal, they still get created and posted.
Not all fake reviews are easy to spot, so Dr. Faklaris has tips for what to look out for.
“This one mentions the entire name of the product repeatedly. Humans don’t write that way,” Dr. Faklaris says. “Any cliches or empty descriptor language such as ‘this is amazing, this is so cool,’ it could be human or it is often AI.”
Dr. Faklaris says the red flags may get lost in lengthy reviews, so she recommends reading each one with a critical eye: “Scammers do learn over time. They do get better at doing all sorts of online communication just like the rest of us.”
Betts says she includes pictures and specific details in her reviews. She wants anyone who reads them to feel confident as they spend their hard-earned money.
“Just make sure you read as many reviews as you can. And you’ll see, you’ll be able to pinpoint when ones aren’t real,” Betts says.
(VIDEO: Someone giving bad online reviews wants money to remove comments, business says)
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