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THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 Page 11 BBB Tip: How to spot a fake review D espite e-commerce websites’ best attempts, getting rid of every fake review quickly is nearly impossible. As a consumer, the key is knowing when to pass on a product by recognizing red fl ags in phony reviews. Most online shoppers read reviews. But how do you know if they are real or fake? Good reviews are important. Shoppers depend on customer reviews to make the right decisions. They are also a determining factor in ranking algorithms and can lead to better visibility and more sales. It’s no surprise that dishonest sellers often post fake reviews. E-commerce websites often have tools in place to analyze and remove fake reviews, but as sellers continually fi nd new ways to craft fake reviews and hire thousands of people to post them, getting rid of every fake review quickly is nearly impossible. As a consumer, knowing when to pass on a product by recognizing red fl ags in phony reviews is key. Easy ways to recognize fake reviews • Look out for generic reviewer profi les. If a reviewer has a very common or generic name, such as John Smith or Jane Doe, you’ve spotted a red fl ag. Fake reviewers usually post under fake names, sometimes even just a series of letters and numbers, and rarely do they have a profi le picture. • Read reviews by customers with verifi ed purchases. Many e-commerce sites add a badge or otherwise indicate if a purchase is verifi ed, meaning the reviewer bought the product on the same site where they wrote the review. Reviews of nonRTA | FROM Page 1 Michelle Ervin, co-president of the Revere Teachers Association (RTA). Ervin went on to say there still has been no collaboration with the RTA and students. Ervin blamed the divide on hubris, pride and ego, and she urged school offi cials to come back to the table and work together with teachers. Cogliandro tried to keep the discussion centered on safety and security, but most of the teachers who spoke at verifi ed purchases are much more likely to be fake. • Examine the quality of product reviews. A good review will briefl y explain why or why not the product in question was a good purchase. If you notice that a product has several fi vestar or one-star reviews with just a word or two in the written portion of the review, you might be looking at fake reviews. This is especially true if you notice multiple, similar reviews posted during a short window of time. • Be wary of scene-setting. A study by Cornell University found that truthful reviewers usually include concrete words relating to the product or service they purchased, whereas fake reviewers like to set the scene. They might talk about how “their husband” visited a specifi c hotel for a “vacation” or “business trip” instead of focusing on the actual hotel experience. This is another fake review red fl ag. • Check the grammar and spelling. Sometimes sellers outsource their fake reviews to content farms, where people who are not native English speakers write reviews. The result is fake reviews with misspellings and poor grammar. If you read a review out loud and it doesn’t sound natural, it could be a fake. • Find out if the reviewer received a free product. Some e-commerce platforms have programs that pre-release products to customers in exchange for their honest reviews. One example is Amazon Vine. This kind of program is usually legitimate and can be helpful, but if you notice almost every review of a product comes from someone who the meeting focused their remarks on unacceptable class sizes and lack of support staff , which they consider a safety issue. Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna asked if there was an increase in safety issues after the district discontinued the Seacoast alternative program, which gave students a smaller academic environment. RTA Co-president Jane Chapin off ered a list of measures the RTA believes will increase safety and security. The received a free product, think twice. It’s also good to take a look at the reviews overall. If the only satisfi ed customer was the one who received a free product, it might not be worth buying. • Look at the quantity of reviews. Business Insider warns that if a product only has a few reviews, especially in comparison to similar products, it’s likely the product is less than reliable. • Try a tool for spotting fake reviews. There are third-party tools available to help you weed out fake reviews. Some provide a letter grade based on how many fake reviews were spotted, while others eliminate fake reviews to provide consumers with an adjusted star rating. These tools aren’t infallible, though, so instead of expecting a black-and-white answer, use them to assist you in making a purchasing decision. • Report fake reviews. Most platforms allow you to report abuse if you notice a fake review. Doing so can help the platform eliminate fake reviews faster, and it can protect your fellow consumers. For more information Read up on “brushing” scams to make sure no one posts a fake review in your name (https://www.bbb.org/ article/news-releases/20509brushing-scam-indicates-aserious-problem-for-victims). To learn more about staying safe while making online purchases, read the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Tip: Smart Shopping Online at https:// www.bbb.org/all/online-shopping/smart-shopping-online. Report suspicious activities to https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker. union has called for a districtwide reporting system of incidents, wraparound services for special education students, more paraprofessionals, adjusted recess times and fair and competitive wages. The Student Senate has launched a student-organized, student-run forum called RHS Talks, and they are surveying students — collecting data related to safety and security issues. The Senate also supports more mentorships and services for at-risk students. Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma BBB Scam Alert: Emergency scams instill fear via fake texts and mugshots E mergency scams — sometimes called “grandparent scams” — prey on the willingness of an unsuspecting, worried individual to help friends and family in need. Often, they will impersonate their targets’ loved ones, make up an urgent situation and plead for help… and money. Social media sites allow scammers to look up information and off er plausible stories. They might even incorporate nicknames and real travel plans into the con to convince their targets. How the scam works: Emergency scams are about a family member or friend in a dire situation. You get a call, email or social media message from someone claiming to be a distressed family member. They might say they’ve been arrested or there was an accident, medical emergency or other calamity. They provide convincing details, such as family names and school details. A twist to this scam targets parents of college students. The scammer calls the family member and claims their child has been arrested and needs bail money sent immediately via a payment app like Venmo or PayPal. They might even text pictures of a mugshot and say that the child is headed to jail with dangerous criminals. Terrifi ed parents send the money, only to fi nd out later that the story wasn’t true — and the money is gone. A common version is the “grandparent scam,” where the con artist contacts a grandparent claiming to be their grandchild and asking for money. The plea is so persuasive that the grandparent wires money to the scammer, only to find out later that their family member was safe and sound. This scam can also work in reverse, where the “grandparent” calls their grandchild, pleading for help. The scammer might also tell the victim that someone will arrive at your house to pick up the money. The FTC has warned that scammers are using voice cloning techniques to imitate the voices of loved ones. The technology enables con artists to copy the voices of persons close to you from videos they might fi nd on social media or other sources. They can then use tools to imitate the voice of your loved one and have the voice appear to say whatever they wish in a call. Some voice cloning eff orts might be crude, and others very sophisticated — either way, this adds to this scam’s confusing and frightening aspect. Tips to spot this scam • Resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is. Check out the story with other family and friends, but hang up or close the message and call your loved one directly. Don’t call the phone number provided by the caller or caller ID. Ask questions that would be hard for an impostor to answer correctly. • Know what your family members are sharing online. You might not have control over your family’s social media accounts, but familiarize yourself with what they share online and what photos they might have posted. Make sure they’re aware of this type of scam and advise them to use privacy options to keep other people from seeing and stealing their images. • Don’t send money if you are unsure about the call. If the caller asks you to send money via a payment app or a gift card, do your homework to ensure that it’s not a scam. If you wire money and later realize it is a fraud, the police must be alerted. • If you are told that someone will come to your home to pick up the money, do not answer your door and call the police immediately. This action could be part of the scam, and the driver might not be aware they are part of the fraud. For more information from the Better Business Bureau (BBB): To report a scam, go to https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker. Learn more about all types of impostor scams. To learn how to protect yourself, go to https://www.bbb.org/ article/tips/8767-bbb-tips-10steps-to-avoid-scams

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