Facebook fake review factories uncovered by investigation

Level 2 l Upper intermediate

1 Warmer
Which of these do you use? Why do you use them? Why do you think so many people around the world
use them?
• Facebook • PayPal
• Amazon • WhatsApp
• TripAdvisor • Instagram

2 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. The paragraph numbers are given to
help you.

review misleading impartial facilitate default

refund investigator consumer fake guidelines

1. An _______________________ is someone who tries to find out the facts about something, usually a crime or
an accident. (para 1)
2. A _______________________ is someone who buys and uses products and services. (para 1)
3. If something is _______________________, it is made to look like something real in order to trick people.
(para 1)
4. A _______________________ is an article or short report in which someone gives their opinion about the
quality of something. (para 1)
5. If something is _______________________, it tries to make someone believe something that is incorrect or
not true. (para 1)
6. If you _______________________ someone, you give them their money back for something they have
bought. (para 2)
7. A _______________________ is the way that something will appear or be done if you make no other choice.
(para 4)
8. An _______________________ opinion is one that is not connected to or influenced by a particular person or
group. (para 9)
9. _______________________ are official instructions or advice about how to do something. (para 10)
10. If you _______________________ something, you make it possible or easier for it to happen. (para 11)

3 Find the information

Find the following information in the text as quickly as possible.
1. What is Which?
2. How many Facebook members may be involved in writing fake reviews?
3. What is the default fake review?
4. How many members does the Amazon UK Reviewers Facebook group have?
5. According to the Which? poll, what percentage of people use online reviews when researching a product?
6. What percentage of people in the Which? poll said they were disappointed after buying a product that had
received excellent reviews?
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NEWS LESSONS / Facebook fake review factories uncovered by investigation / Upper intermediate
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Facebook fake review factories uncovered by investigation
Level 2 l Upper intermediate
Facebook fake review factories positive reviews. For example, one company was
uncovered by Which? investigation looking for “UK reviewers only” for a “4k action
camera”. It said refunds would be via Paypal –
Patrick Collinson
“just send me your Amazon profile.”
20 October, 2018
7 The postings reveal that the review factories
1 Investigators from the consumer group Which? are a global problem, with mostly far-eastern
have discovered fake review factories on manufacturers looking for consumers in western
Facebook. They produce misleading five-star markets to access Amazon and post the reviews.
reviews that are then posted on Amazon. Which?
said two large Facebook groups – Amazon 8 Fake online reviews have been a big problem on
Deals Group and Amazon UK Reviewers – were the internet for years, but Which? said they are
involved in the dishonest practice, together with still very influential. As part of its investigation, it
smaller groups. Together, they may have up surveyed Which? members and found that 97%
to 87,000 members who could be writing use online reviews when researching a product –
fake reviews. but three in ten (31%) were disappointed
after buying a product because of excellent
2 Inside the Facebook groups, companies post feedback scores.
details of products for which they want positive
reviews. The reviewers have to pay for the items 9 Alex Neill, the Which? managing director of home
– so Amazon believes the buyer is real – but after products and services, said: “Sellers are ripping
leaving a positive review, the company refunds people off with paid-for reviews. They don’t
the reviewer through PayPal and sometimes pays represent an honest and impartial opinion but
an additional fee. instead mislead people into buying products that
they would normally avoid.”
3 Researchers for Which? set up special Amazon
and Facebook accounts and asked to join several 10 Which? shared its findings with Amazon and
of the “rewards for reviews” groups. “They were Facebook. In its response, Amazon said: “We
told to order a specified item through Amazon, do not permit reviews in exchange for money.
write a review and share a link to the review Customers and sellers must follow our review
once it was published. After the publication of the guidelines and if they don’t, we may terminate
review, a refund for the cost of the item would their account.” It added that a “small number of
then be paid via PayPal,” said Which? reviews” violated its guidelines, that it had closed
some accounts and, in some cases, had taken
4 But the Which? investigators turned the tables legal action.
on the fake review factories by posting their
honest opinion on the product. In one example, 11 Facebook said: “Facilitating or encouraging the
the investigator gave a product a two-star review. trade of fake user reviews is not permitted on
“They were told by the seller to rewrite it because Facebook. We ask people to use our reporting
the product was free, so it is the default to give a tools to report content they suspect may
five-star review,” said Which? violate our standards so that we can take
immediate action.”
5 In another, the investigator was told that a refund
would be given after a good five-star review 12 In September, 2018, a man was jailed in Italy
with some photos. But after posting a three-star for selling fake TripAdvisor reviews. He had
review with photos, they were told they would not offered his services to hundreds of hotels and
be refunded unless they wrote a five-star review. restaurants across Italy, but a court found that
The investigator refused so did not get refunded. writing fake reviews under a false identity was a
crime under Italian law.
6 When the Guardian searched the Amazon
UK Reviewers Facebook group – which has © Guardian News and Media 2018
more than 25,000 members – it found postings First published in The Guardian, 20/10/18
appearing almost every couple of minutes from
companies around the world offering to pay for
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NEWS LESSONS / Facebook fake review factories uncovered by investigation / Upper intermediate
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Facebook fake review factories uncovered by investigation
Level 2 l Upper intermediate
4 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text?

1. The writers of fake reviews always get a fee for writing a positive review.
2. The writers of positive fake reviews get the product and a refund for its cost.
3. The investigators from Which? wrote honest reviews and were then told to write five-star reviews.
4. Western manufacturers are looking for consumers in far-eastern markets to post reviews on Amazon.
5. A man was sent to prison in Italy for writing fake Amazon reviews.
6. Writing fake reviews violates Amazon’s guidelines.

5 Find the word

Find the following words and phrases in the text.
1. a noun meaning a way of doing something (para 1)
2. a four-word verb phrase meaning succeed in gaining an advantage over someone who had previously held an
advantage over you (para 4)
3. a noun meaning a message sent over the internet to a group (para 6)
4. an adjective meaning including or affecting the whole world (para 7)
5. an adjective meaning able to affect the way other people think or behave (para 8)
6. a two-word phrasal verb meaning cheat someone, especially by charging them too much money for something
(para 9)
7. a verb meaning end an agreement, job, contract etc (para 10)
8. a verb meaning do something that is in opposition to a law, agreement, rule, principle etc (para 10)

6 Two-word phrases
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from
the text.

1. five-star a. profile
2. honest b. feedback
3. legal c. review
4. Amazon d. tools
5. excellent e. action
6. reporting f. opinion
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NEWS LESSONS / Facebook fake review factories uncovered by investigation / Upper intermediate
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 Facebook fake review factories uncovered by investigation
Level 2 l Upper intermediate
7 Suffixes
Add -er or -or to form nouns from these words. Make spelling changes as necessary.

1. consume _______________________
2. sell _______________________
3. direct _______________________
4. investigate _______________________
5. review _______________________
6. advise _______________________

8 Discussion
Discuss the statements.

• It’s crazy to buy something on the basis of online reviews.

• People wouldn’t have this problem if they bought things from traditional shops.

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NEWS LESSONS / Facebook fake review factories uncovered by investigation / Upper intermediate
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