How it works
After you buy something, a message arrives by email, a card slipped into the package, or a chat on a messaging app. The sender thanks you for your order and offers money or a gift card if you post a five-star review and confirm it with a screenshot.
In the most common version you are asked to pay full price first so the purchase counts as verified, then submit your review, and only afterwards are you promised a refund through PayPal or a gift-card code. The refund is the bait that keeps you compliant.
Why it works and who is targeted
The offer feels harmless and even generous: you get paid for an opinion you might have shared anyway. Sellers target recent buyers and people who already leave a lot of reviews, because their feedback looks credible to the platform and to other shoppers.
The scheme works because most people do not realise that accepting it makes them part of the fraud. Honest shoppers reading those fake five-star reviews are the real victims, and the platform treats reviewers who take payment as rule-breakers, not as bystanders.
Red flags in detail
Any contact that links a review to a payment, refund, gift card, or free product is the core warning sign - genuine sellers may ask you to review, but never pay for the rating itself. Be wary when you are pushed to communicate off-platform, by email or a messaging app, where the marketplace cannot see the deal.
Requests for a screenshot of your posted review, a five-star rating specifically, or a particular wording are all signs of manipulation rather than honest feedback collection.
What to do and how to stay safe
Do not accept the offer and do not change or post a review in exchange for anything. Keep the message and report it to the marketplace through its official seller-feedback or report channel so they can act on the seller.
Only ever write reviews that reflect your real experience, and ignore inserts or follow-up emails that promise rewards. If you have already taken part, you can edit or delete the affected review and report yourself to the platform - coming forward is treated far more leniently than being caught.
