I can’t think of an area where the cost of living crisis is not having an effect. It’s omnipresent.

Hard times, sadly, are usually accompanied by a rise in illegal activity (and I don’t just mean those in power [is there a snark emoji?])

It’s arguably even more important then (IMHO) that when you spend your hard-earned £s you spend them wisely. 

So let’s have a look at the shoddy business of fake reviews.

Here’s a useful primer from Resolver (a free, independent issue resolution service) on how to spot a fake review – disclaimer – it isn’t foolproof. Nothing is. If it were that easy to spot the fakers no one would be out of pocket would they? But, as they say, ‘if a review sounds like a press release or marketing copy, then it may well be just that! ‘

This is also good from Natwest on what to look out for in the case of financial scams. However, it does also direct you to ‘look at review websites such as Trustpilot to check the quality of a business.’

You might think using Check a Trade is the way to go to get trusted verified traders, and clearly it is. BUT some dodgy people remain listed when they most definitely shouldn’t be. In case you think I cherry-picked this to fit the narrative do your own Google search of local stories in a similar vein. Check a Trade WAS founded to stamp out cowboy trades. Maybe it needs a more robust flagging system?

Sadly, there are some in my line of work who aid and abet this shoddy fake review business by actually writing them – even though the evidence seems to suggest said reviews are not trusted?!

There is no single way to get rid of scammers and there is no single way to avoid being scammed. Be vigilant. Don’t rely solely on one platform or website for reviews. Check multiple sources to get a more comprehensive and balanced view. And don’t overlook your own network for recommendations from friends, family and colleagues who can help you make wise purchasing choices.

Trust your gut. And if you’ve had a good experience somewhere don’t forget to leave the business a review!