Review integrity

Fake review checker: how to verify reviews

A fake review checker scans the reviews on a listing and estimates how many look unreliable. It is a useful starting point. It is not proof, because it reads writing style rather than what actually happened.

What a checker can tell you

  • Language patterns

    Repeated phrasing, generic praise, and text that reads like it was written to a template.

  • Account behavior

    Accounts with one rating, only extremes, or activity that clusters around a single business.

  • Timing

    Bursts of ratings over a few days, often after negative attention.

What a checker cannot tell you

A checker cannot confirm that a job took place, what it cost, whether it was finished, or whether the person writing has any track record. A careful fake passes the text test, and a short genuine note gets flagged. The underlying rating is still an average of opinions, so the adjusted number inherits the same weakness.

A different approach: verify, do not estimate

Pluk does not average stars and then discount the suspicious ones. Each recorded interaction describes a specific engagement and carries an evidence level, and that level determines how much it counts.

  • Interactions supported by a receipt, invoice, or record carry more weight than an unsupported opinion.
  • Contributor patterns are tracked, so coordinated activity loses influence.
  • Every PlukScore comes with a Confidence rating that shows how much information supports it.
  • Serious claims require stronger support before they move a score.

How to check a business yourself

  1. Search the business on Pluk and read the PlukScore alongside its Confidence rating.
  2. Read the individual interactions, not the headline number. Look for a date, a service, and an outcome.
  3. Check whether the strongest claims are supported by evidence rather than sentiment.
  4. If you have dealt with the business, record your own interaction and attach what you have.