Like most people who shop on Amazon.com, you probably check the reviews on many products before you throw them into your online cart. But how many times do you question the contents of the review? A new study by Fakespot claims over 40% of the reviews on Amazon.com are fake. So how do you know which reviews are real and which ones are fake?

Wired.com has compiled a list of red flags to look for in an Amazon.com review to determine if the review is real or fake.

Almost All Five-Star Reviews—Be careful of reviews that are mostly five-stars. Those are usually fake, especially if there are only a few four-star reviews sprinkled in.

Negative Comments—Negative comments that are small and not a deal-breaker for you, in abundance, might mean they are fake. If you read a ton of reviews and most of the negatives are small and seem like they are just 'thrown in', they are probably fake.

Generic Reviews—If you come across reviews that are generic and don't mention specific details about the item, be cautious. A lack of detail may mean a lack of truth.

Better Than the Rest—If a review harps on the fact that a product is better than other products like the one you're looking to buy, the review may be fake. Especially if the bragging consumes the review.

Reviews That Look the Same—When reviews look like they could be written by the same person, they probably have. Look for similar writing styles and verbiage.

Gaps—If you see a bunch of reviews written around the same time and then a gap, another block of reviews then another gap, that pattern should remind you to be suspicious.

Customers Also Bought Section—Reviewers being paid to lie also get paid to buy other products that end up in the "Customers also bought" section. If the "Customers also bought" section is full of unrelated products—probably means the review is fake.

(wired.com)

Gift Guide for the Tech-Savvy

More From 97.3 The Dawg