The Big Story: Can you trust online reviews after 45 businesses admit to buying fake ratings?

Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong · Oct 1, 2026 · 13m

Online reviews have become a big part of how we make purchasing decisions, whether we’re choosing a restaurant, booking a hotel or deciding which product is worth our money. But how much can we really trust those five-star ratings and glowing customer testimonials? Singapore’s Competition and Consumer Commission has taken action against 45 businesses that admitted to buying fake reviews, in its largest investigation into the practice to date. These businesses purchased review packages from websites offering fake ratings, with some packages promising dozens of five-star reviews to…