The Economics of Reputation Fraud: Inside the Bot Farm Ecosystem

For most business owners, a fake review is a source of emotional distress. It feels personal. It feels like a direct attack on their hard work and integrity. However, to the operators of the global review fraud network, a fake review is simply a unit of inventory. It is a digital commodity with a manufacturing cost, a wholesale price, and a distribution supply chain. The review fraud industry has evolved from a cottage industry of individual freelancers into a sophisticated global enterprise. It