Channel NewsAsia found six businesses that bought or solicited fake reviews through suppliers advertising on Carousell and messaging apps; regulators and platforms have rules but detection and enforcement remain difficult.
CNA identified six Singapore businesses — including a law firm, funeral home and private investigator — linked to paid fake reviews solicited via Carousell and messaging apps.
Singapore’s Competition and Consumer Commission (CCS) says posting fake reviews is an unfair practice under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act and can lead to action if uncovered.
Platforms such as Google have policies and technologies to remove inauthentic reviews, but fake endorsements continue despite past enforcement actions against local firms.
When choosing where to eat or which vendor to hire, opting for a business rated five stars on Google over a four-star competitor seems like an obvious choice. The phenomenon – which CNA had reported about as far back as 2018 – points to a persistent scourge of deceptive online endorsements that authorities have warned about for years. In late 2025, CNA spotted listings on Carousell offering money in exchange for posting reviews.
Fake reviews persist despite the authorities taking action and review platforms such as Google instituting policies against inauthentic reviews and using technology to remove suspicious content. In 2024, furniture retailer Loft Home became the first company in Singapore to be formally censured for publishing fake reviews. Last year, a car detailing firm admitted to posting fake five-star reviews on Sgcarmart.
Inside the persistent scourge of fake positive reviews online. Inside the persistent scourge of fake positive reviews online CNA found six businesses that have commissioned two suppliers to solicit fake reviews to improve their online presence, including a law firm, funeral home and a private investigator. Abigail Ng Abigail Ng 29 Sep 2026 06:00AM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.
For scammers, the return on investment scaled quickly: from 109% for 500 attempts to 1,098% for 10,000 attempts.
Reputation management firm helps businesses protect their online image as AI makes it easier than ever to flood review platforms with fabricated ratings and reviews. The post As Fake Business Reviews Increase, Online Reputations Helps Companies Fight Back first appeared on
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