Carousell listings were still offering S$5 per fake Google review on 25 September, Channel News Asia reported, more than nine months after journalists first spotted suppliers paying S$1 to S$2 for misleading five-star posts on local businesses.
The investigation documented six Singapore enterprises that commissioned glowing testimonials through two suppliers, spanning sectors from legal services to home services. Listings demanded reviewers hold year-old accounts and Local Guide level five status before payment landed 24 hours after posting.
How the market works
Suppliers advertise on Carousell to avoid detection on mainstream freelance platforms. One seller claimed ten Google accounts and discounted bulk packages above five reviews. Another coached undercover reporters to praise specific staff members by name, even when the reviewer never hired the firm. Google flags such patterns when sentiment spikes overnight, but takedowns can lag weeks while consumers rely on stars to pick funeral homes, maid agencies or hair salons.
Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore rules treat false claims in consumer advertising as unfair practices when businesses mislead buyers. Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore guidelines cover digital endorsements that look like organic feedback but are paid placements. Legal commentators note defamation and false-statement laws may apply when reviews invent client experiences.
Platform enforcement gaps
Carousell removed some listings after CNA inquiries, yet similar posts reappeared with tweaked wording. Marketplace operators rely on user reports and automated keyword filters that sellers evade by shifting to review exchanges or WhatsApp coordination. Google allows businesses and users to flag policy violations, but investigators said the burden falls on customers who cannot see payment trails.
Reverse scams also hit merchants: extortionists post fake one-star bursts, then offer removal services over WhatsApp. Electronics retailer Gain City and beauty chain Sommar Beauty Spa reported that pattern in mid-2026. Fake positive reviews and fake negative extortion share infrastructure — burner accounts and bulk SIM cards.
What households can do
Treat five-star clusters that mention staff by first name with skepticism, especially when no detail references price, wait time or location. Report suspicious posts to Google and, for paid consumer services, file Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore complaints when a business clearly bought endorsements. Carousell users should flag review-for-hire listings under prohibited services.
Business owners should keep booking records that prove real clients left organic feedback. Paid astroturfing saves marketing dollars until a regulator or journalist matches testimonial text across unrelated accounts — the exposure CNA documented in September.