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Shill

A shill is an individual covertly employed or compensated to publicly endorse or promote a product, service, policy, or entity while feigning the impartiality of an ordinary supporter, thereby misleading others into heightened interest or participation.^[1]^[2] The term derives from early 20th-century American carnival and gambling slang, where a "shill" or "shillaber" acted as a decoy posing as a satisfied participant to draw in genuine marks and stimulate activity, with the earliest documented uses tracing to around 1911 for "shill" and 1908 for "shillaber" in contexts of fraud and deception.^[2]^[3] In practice, shills have historically facilitated scams in auctions, shell games, and promotions by creating artificial demand or credibility, often rendering such tactics illegal under fraud statutes when undisclosed incentives distort markets or consumer decisions.^[1] Contemporary applications extend to digital spaces, including social media and online marketplaces, where shill-like behavior—such as coordinated endorsements without transparency—undermines trust and has prompted regulatory scrutiny, though empirical detection remains challenging due to proxies and anonymity.^[4] Defining characteristics include the intentional concealment of affiliations, which contrasts with legitimate advocacy, and the causal role in inflating perceived value through simulated consensus, a mechanism rooted in herd behavior rather than genuine merit.^[5] Shill bidding, a specific variant in auctions where agents drive up prices without intent to purchase, can yield premiums of 16-44% for sellers but erodes platform integrity and bidder confidence.^[4]

Definition and Etymology

Core Definition

A shill is an individual who publicly endorses or promotes a product, service, policy, or event while concealing their financial compensation or affiliation with the promoter, thereby misleading observers into believing the support is genuine and independent.^[1]^[5] This deceptive practice relies on the shill's feigned impartiality to influence others' decisions, such as encouraging purchases, participation in auctions, or adoption of ideas.^[1] In practice, shills often operate in settings where perceived social proof or competition can sway behavior, such as gambling venues where they pose as winning participants to lure bets, or auctions where they place fictitious bids to escalate prices without intent to purchase.^[2]^[6] The core mechanism involves exploiting trust in apparent authenticity, distinguishing shilling from overt advertising by its covert nature and potential for fraud.^[5] Legal prohibitions exist in many jurisdictions against shill practices in auctions and sales, viewing them as manipulative interference with fair market dynamics.^[6]

Linguistic Origins

The term "shill" emerged in early 20th-century American English as slang within carnival and gambling contexts, denoting an individual planted in an audience to feign interest or participation in order to attract genuine customers or bettors.^[2] It is widely regarded as a shortening of "shillaber," a term attested by 1913 referring to a similar decoy role, such as a circus barker or accomplice in confidence schemes, though the precise derivation of "shillaber" remains unknown despite various unverified speculations.^[1]^[7] The noun form "shill" first appeared in print around 1916, describing a covert promoter, while the verb form, meaning to act as such a promoter, dates to circa 1914, initially tied to auction and shell-game manipulations where the shill would simulate winning or enthusiasm to draw in marks.^[1] This usage reflects the word's roots in itinerant showmanship and fraud, distinct from unrelated archaic English terms like "shill" for "shell" in Old English dialects, which lack semantic connection to the modern slang.^[8] By the 1920s, the term had diffused into broader colloquial American English, retaining its connotation of deceptive endorsement without evolving significantly in form or core meaning.^[9]

Historical Contexts

Carnival and Gambling Roots

In the context of American traveling carnivals during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, shills functioned as decoys employed by concession operators to simulate customer interest and success in games or attractions. These individuals would pose as ordinary patrons, purchasing items, placing bets, or expressing excitement to create an atmosphere of popularity and profitability, thereby enticing genuine visitors—often termed "marks" or "rubes"—to participate and wager money. This tactic was essential in itinerant shows where drawing crowds quickly determined financial viability, with shills strategically positioning themselves in queues or crowds to amplify perceived demand.^[2]^[10] The practice readily transferred to gambling houses and early casinos, where shills replicated carnival deceptions by populating tables, simulating wins, and generating artificial activity to lure hesitant players into believing the odds favored participants. In these venues, shills typically wagered house funds rather than personal money, adhering to strict oversight to avoid theft or collusion with outsiders, as their role was to sustain game momentum without genuine risk to the operator. Such employment was common in U.S. gambling operations post-Civil War through the mid-20th century, particularly in sawdust joints or less regulated establishments, where empty tables deterred custom.^[11]^[12] Nevada's legalization of casino gaming in 1931 amplified shill usage, with operators hiring them to excite slots or tables; for example, a 1946 Reno casino recruited a newcomer unfamiliar with local gambling to act as a shill, blending seamlessly among patrons. By 1961, state regulations barred licensees from personally shilling to curb self-dealing, though the practice persisted in proposition play until phased out by reformers like William Harrah, who dismissed shills in his early clubs around 1937 to foster authentic play and customer trust through environmental upgrades instead. Shills in these settings paralleled carnival roles in shell games, where they disrupted marks' potential wins or bolstered the operator's edge.^[13]^[14]^[12]

Expansion to Auctions

The employment of shills extended from carnival and gambling venues to auction environments in the early 20th century, where they functioned as decoys placing artificial bids to simulate competitive interest and elevate sale prices. This adaptation leveraged the public, ascending-bid format of auctions, allowing shills to create the illusion of demand without intending to purchase, thereby pressuring genuine bidders to increase offers or deterring lowball attempts below seller reserves. The term "shill" itself entered auction-specific usage around 1911, as documented in U.S. newspaper investigations into fraudulent schemes.^[2] A prominent early example occurred in Chicago's South State Street district, where organized fake auctions utilized shills—typically 2 to 10 per event—alongside auctioneers and cashiers to stage bidding wars on sham goods, luring unsuspecting participants into overpaying for worthless items. These operations, exposed in 1912, mirrored carnival tactics by employing shills to feign enthusiasm and bid aggressively, fostering a herd mentality among observers.^[2] Historical records indicate shill-like manipulations predated this, with evidence of such practices influencing trade auctions from the early 19th century onward, as sellers sought to counteract bidder collusion or undervaluation in volatile markets like commodities or livestock.^[15] In legitimate auctions, shill bidding evolved to safeguard minimum prices, particularly in English-style ascending auctions where visible competition could justify higher finals; studies of mid-20th-century practices confirm its persistence, with shills often bidding just enough to exceed reserves without winning.^[16] This expansion reflected causal incentives in auction dynamics: sellers faced revenue losses from thin bidding, prompting shill deployment to extract informational rents from uncertain bidder valuations, though it risked eroding trust if undetected. Empirical analyses of traditional auctions note shilling's role in inflating prices by 16-44% in some cases, underscoring its economic rationale despite ethical concerns.^[4] By the mid-20th century, regulations in various jurisdictions began addressing overt shilling, yet the practice endured in forms like undisclosed bidder proxies until platforms mandated transparency.^[17]

Commercial Applications

Marketing and Endorsements

In marketing, a shill refers to an individual who promotes a product or service while concealing their affiliation or compensation, thereby simulating independent endorsement to influence consumer behavior.^[1] This practice often involves posing as a satisfied customer or unbiased advocate to generate perceived social proof, exploiting trust in organic recommendations over overt advertising.^[18] Shills have been employed in various endorsement tactics, such as fabricating testimonials or reviews to inflate demand, particularly in direct sales or online commerce where anonymity facilitates deception. For instance, undisclosed paid promoters may post positive feedback on e-commerce platforms, mimicking genuine user experiences to sway purchasing decisions.^[19] Such methods align with stealth marketing strategies, where endorsements appear as natural peer opinions rather than sponsored content, enhancing persuasiveness through perceived authenticity.^[20] Regulatory frameworks address shilling to prevent consumer deception. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mandates disclosure of material connections in endorsements, prohibiting false or misleading testimonials that misrepresent endorser experiences.^[21] In August 2024, the FTC finalized a rule banning the sale or purchase of fake reviews and testimonials, including those generated by shills or bots, with penalties up to $51,744 per violation to enforce truthful advertising.^[19]^[22] Violations can extend liability to both advertisers and endorsers, underscoring that unsubstantiated or procured endorsements constitute unfair trade practices.^[23]

Auction-Specific Practices

In auctions, shill bidding refers to the practice where the seller, auctioneer, or their associates place artificial bids to inflate the perceived value of an item, drive genuine bidders to higher amounts, or meet reserve prices without intending to win the lot.^[24]^[25] This tactic exploits the competitive dynamics of formats like English ascending auctions, where incremental bidding creates momentum.^[15] Common techniques include deploying secondary accounts or proxies to submit bids that appear competitive but retract or cap below the seller's minimum acceptable price, often targeting items with reserves to simulate demand.^[6] In live auctions, shills—individuals posing as independent participants—may signal enthusiasm through rapid early bids or verbal encouragement, pressuring observers to join or escalate.^[26] Online platforms facilitate this via multiple user profiles, where shills bid incrementally to boost visibility in search algorithms or end-of-auction sniping defenses, though detection algorithms now flag patterns like repeated second-place finishes from low-feedback accounts.^[27]^[28] Real estate and collectibles auctions have seen notable applications; for instance, in vehicle auctions, shill bids have been alleged to artificially elevate prices by simulating dealer interest, as in a 2021 federal lawsuit against ACV Auctions accusing the firm of participating in or enabling such practices to favor sellers.^[29] In a 2012 U.S. District Court case involving Mastro Auctions, defendants used fictitious bidder accounts to place shill bids on collectibles, resulting in guilty pleas for wire fraud after inflating sale prices.^[30] Such practices can legally occur below reserves in some U.S. jurisdictions if disclosed as "house bidding," but crossing into winning bids or undisclosed inflation constitutes fraud under FTC guidelines prohibiting deceptive trade practices.^[31]^[32] States like California restrict shill bids in real estate auctions to prevent unintended market distortions, with violations punishable as misdemeanors.^[33]

Digital and Online Extensions

Internet Forums and Reviews

In internet forums and online review platforms, shills typically operate by posting compensated endorsements disguised as authentic user experiences to inflate perceptions of product quality or popularity. These actors, often hired through freelance services or directly by companies, use multiple accounts or coordinated campaigns to amplify positive sentiment while suppressing criticism, a tactic extending from historical auction shilling to digital astroturfing.^[34] Such practices exploit the trust users place in peer opinions, with shills employing scripted language patterns—like excessive enthusiasm or repetitive phrasing—to mimic genuine advocacy.^[35] Prevalence of shill-generated content remains significant, with estimates indicating that around 30% of online reviews in 2025 are fake or manipulated, encountered by 82% of consumers.^[36] Fake reviews are most concentrated on platforms like Google (10.7% fake rate), Yelp (7.1%), and Tripadvisor (5.2%), where shills target high-traffic sites for maximum influence.^[37] In forums such as Reddit or specialized discussion boards, astroturfing manifests as orchestrated threads or comment floods simulating grassroots support for products, services, or ideas, often funded by undisclosed sponsors to evade detection. Detection relies on linguistic analysis, revealing shill reviews through markers like unnatural positivity, vague specifics, or temporal clustering of posts from new accounts.^[35] Empirical studies, including controlled experiments with simulated shills, confirm these traits enable semi-automated identification, though sophisticated actors adapt by incorporating realistic variability.^[38] The financial toll includes consumer losses of approximately $0.12 per dollar spent on influenced purchases, underscoring causal distortions in market signals.^[39] Regulatory responses intensified with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's final rule on consumer reviews, effective October 21, 2024, which bans the creation, purchase, or sale of fake reviews and testimonials, imposing civil penalties up to $51,744 per violation.^[19]^[40] The rule targets undisclosed incentives, prohibiting businesses from suppressing negative feedback or fabricating endorsements, though enforcement challenges persist due to the pseudonymous nature of online activity.^[41] Despite these measures, shilling persists as platforms struggle with scalable verification amid incentives for deception.^[42] In social media environments, shills frequently operate through influencers who receive compensation to promote products, brands, or narratives while omitting disclosures of their financial ties, thereby misleading audiences into perceiving endorsements as authentic and impartial.^[43] This practice exploits the trust users place in influencers' personal opinions, amplifying reach via algorithms that favor engaging content.^[44] The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) classifies such undisclosed promotions as deceptive under its Endorsement Guides, requiring "clear and conspicuous" revelations of any material connection, such as payments or free products, in endorsements posted on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.^[45] Non-compliance can result in civil penalties, with the FTC issuing warnings and settlements; for instance, in 2017, it admonished influencers for burying disclosures in videos or using vague hashtags like #thanksbrand instead of explicit statements like #ad.^[46] Astroturfing extends shilling to coordinated campaigns where networks of paid accounts or bots simulate grassroots enthusiasm on social media, often to sway public opinion or boost product hype without revealing orchestration.^[47] On Twitter (now X) and Reddit, shills may post repetitive positive reviews or counter negative sentiment, eroding genuine discourse; a 2013 analysis noted infiltration across review sites and Twitter for consumer endorsements, with tactics including fake profiles mimicking everyday users.^[47] Platforms' moderation challenges exacerbate this, as algorithmic amplification rewards high-volume posting from shill accounts over sporadic authentic input.^[48] Regulatory scrutiny has intensified, with a 2025 surge in class-action lawsuits against brands and influencers for alleged deceptive practices, such as failing to disclose AI-generated or compensated content in promotions for apparel and beauty products.^[49] Enforcement actions underscore the prevalence: the FTC has pursued cases like a 2022 settlement with a fashion brand over influencers' undisclosed posts, fining for violations that deceived consumers on purchase decisions.^[45] In Europe, similar rules under the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive mandate transparency, with fines issued by bodies like the UK's Competition and Markets Authority for non-disclosure in influencer ads as of 2023.^[50] Despite guidelines, compliance remains inconsistent; a 2022 Vox investigation found TikTok rife with "sponcon" (sponsored content) lacking disclosures, where influencers embedded promotions in lifestyle videos without hashtags, evading automated detection.^[44] These lapses highlight shilling's adaptability to short-form video and ephemeral stories, where disclosures are easily overlooked or absent.

Societal and Political Uses

Political Advocacy and Propaganda

In political advocacy, shilling typically involves covertly funded actors posing as independent supporters to manufacture apparent consensus for candidates, policies, or ideologies, a practice known as astroturfing. This tactic creates an illusion of widespread grassroots enthusiasm, often through coordinated online activity, paid commenters, or staged events, to sway public opinion or pressure policymakers without revealing sponsorship.^[51]^[52] A well-documented case occurred during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, when Russia's Internet Research Agency (IRA) deployed approximately 80 employees and contractors to generate fake social media personas mimicking American users. These operatives produced over 3,500 Facebook ads costing about $100,000, alongside millions of posts across platforms, to exacerbate social divisions, boost support for Donald Trump, and discourage Democratic turnout, particularly among African American voters via fabricated groups like "Blacktivist."^[53]^[54]^[55] U.S. intelligence assessments and congressional investigations confirmed the IRA's efforts reached tens of millions of users, though the direct causal impact on voting remains debated due to confounding factors like pre-existing polarization.^[56] Domestically, astroturfing has appeared in U.S. campaigns through firms hired to simulate organic advocacy. For instance, in 2019–2020, digital agency Rally Forge, contracted by conservative organizations including Turning Point USA, created inauthentic Facebook profiles to infiltrate Democratic-leaning groups, posting pro-Trump content disguised as genuine member input to influence perceptions ahead of the election.^[57] A Stanford University analysis identified patterns of identical phrasing and timing in these posts, distinguishing them from uncoordinated user activity. Such operations, while legal under current disclosure rules, erode trust in online discourse by blurring lines between authentic and engineered sentiment.^[51] Internationally, similar shilling tactics have supported authoritarian agendas; Turkey's AKP-linked troll armies, active since around 2013, have flooded social media with paid accounts to defend President Erdoğan, harass critics, and fabricate support during elections, contributing to democratic backsliding by suppressing dissent.^[58] These examples highlight how shilling in propaganda prioritizes narrative control over transparent debate, often exploiting platform algorithms for amplification.^[51]

Media and Journalistic Contexts

In media and journalistic contexts, a shill refers to an individual, often a commentator or purported reporter, who promotes specific agendas, policies, or entities without disclosing financial incentives or affiliations, thereby undermining public trust in independent reporting.^[59] This practice violates core journalistic ethics codes, such as those from the Society of Professional Journalists, which mandate transparency about conflicts of interest to maintain credibility. Instances of shilling typically involve paid advocacy disguised as objective analysis, distinguishing it from overt opinion pieces or sponsored content properly labeled as such. A prominent case occurred in 2005 when syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams received $240,000 from the U.S. Department of Education under the Bush administration to promote the No Child Left Behind Act without disclosure to his audience or employers.^[59] Williams, who hosted a TV show and wrote columns praising the policy, defended the arrangement as standard but faced widespread condemnation, leading to the termination of his contract with the department and scrutiny from media watchdogs. The scandal prompted an investigation by the House Government Reform Committee, highlighting how government payments to commentators erode the separation between journalism and propaganda. Similarly, in 2005, James Guckert, operating under the pseudonym Jeff Gannon, gained White House press credentials as a reporter for the conservative outlet Talon News while undisclosed ties suggested he functioned as a planted advocate for the Bush administration.^[60] Guckert posed softball questions during briefings and published favorable coverage, but revelations of his background in paid conservative activism and lack of traditional journalistic experience fueled accusations of shilling, resulting in the revocation of his credentials and congressional inquiries into press access protocols. Contemporary examples include publicists recruiting freelance writers for undisclosed brand mentions in articles on platforms like Forbes and HuffPost, as exposed in a 2018 investigation revealing payments for planted links and endorsements without byline disclosures.^[61] Such practices exploit contributor models where outlets prioritize volume over vetting, leading to FTC complaints and internal policy revisions at affected publications. These cases illustrate how shilling persists amid declining ad revenue, pressuring journalists toward covert commercialization, though regulatory bodies like the FCC enforce disclosure rules for broadcast equivalents under payola prohibitions.

Implications and Responses

Ethical and Psychological Dimensions

Shilling constitutes a form of deception that violates principles of honesty and autonomy in decision-making, as shills present biased endorsements as genuine opinions without disclosing conflicts of interest. This practice contravenes ethical standards in marketing and commerce by prioritizing short-term gains over truthful information exchange, potentially leading to misallocated resources and distorted market signals.^[62]^[63] Consequentialist analyses highlight how shilling erodes public trust in endorsements, reviews, and auctions, fostering cynicism toward ostensibly independent advice and increasing vulnerability to further manipulation. Empirical studies on cyber shilling, involving false online reviews, demonstrate its role in undermining consumer confidence, with long-term effects including heightened skepticism across platforms.^[64] Psychologically, shillers are often driven by extrinsic motivations, such as financial incentives or retaliatory impulses following perceived brand betrayal, rather than intrinsic beliefs in the promoted entity. A survey of 1,752 U.S. consumers found that revenge motives from dissatisfaction prompt negative cyber shilling, while positive variants stem from monetary rewards, illustrating how personal grievances or greed underpin the behavior.^[64]^[65] For recipients, exposure to shilling triggers betrayal perceptions, which reduce brand attachment and elevate desires for retaliation, such as authoring counter-reviews, without necessarily spurring further shilling participation. This response aligns with cognitive processes where violated expectations of authenticity provoke emotional disengagement.^[65] Shilling leverages innate heuristics like social proof, where individuals infer value from perceived peer consensus, amplifying its efficacy in group settings such as online forums or cryptocurrency promotions. In digital contexts, this exploitation of herd dynamics can precipitate rapid, irrational enthusiasm or crashes, as seen in crypto markets where undisclosed hype inflates token prices before corrections.^[66]

Legal Frameworks and Enforcement

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates shilling in advertising through its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, originally issued in 1980 and revised as of June 29, 2023, which apply Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices.^[45]^[67] These guides mandate clear and conspicuous disclosure of any "material connection" between an endorser and the advertiser, such as payments, free products, or other incentives, to avoid misleading consumers about the endorser's independence or bias.^[45] Endorsements must also reflect the honest opinions of the endorser and cannot include fabricated reviews or testimonials, with advertisers bearing responsibility to ensure compliance across platforms like social media.^[68] For securities promotions, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforces Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, which requires full disclosure of any compensation received for soliciting purchases of securities, targeting undisclosed paid stock promotions often termed "shilling" in pump-and-dump schemes.^[69] Violations constitute fraud under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, with the SEC pursuing civil penalties, disgorgement, and injunctions; for instance, in April 2017, the agency charged 27 individuals and entities in coordinated actions for failing to disclose payments exceeding $3.5 million for bullish stock articles.^[69]^[70] In auction contexts, shill bidding—placing artificial bids to inflate prices—is prohibited under federal and state laws as a form of bid rigging or fraud, with the FTC advising against it in internet auctions to prevent deceptive practices.^[25] Florida Statute §468.389, for example, explicitly bans auctioneers from using false bidders or shills, subjecting violators to license revocation, fines, or criminal penalties.^[71] While shill bids below a reserve price may be permissible in some disclosed reserve auctions without completing a sale, undisclosed shilling generally risks civil or criminal liability, including up to four years imprisonment and $100,000 fines under statutes like New York's Donnelly Act for collusive bidding.^[26]^[72] Platforms like eBay enforce bans via account suspensions, treating violations as breaches of terms of service.^[73] Enforcement actions emphasize deterrence through monetary penalties and corrective measures. The FTC has issued warning letters to influencers for undisclosed endorsements, such as in 2023 cases involving social media promotions, and pursued settlements requiring redress to consumers; for example, it sent notices to over 700 advertisers in 2021 signaling heightened scrutiny of endorsement practices.^[74]^[75] The SEC's fiscal year 2023 results included 784 total actions, many targeting promotional fraud, with penalties often exceeding millions in disgorgement.^[76] In auction shilling cases, settlements have imposed fines like $50,000 plus restitution, as in New York prosecutions of online fraud rings.^[32] Internationally, frameworks vary but align with anti-fraud principles; the European Union's Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (2005/29/EC) prohibits misleading endorsements, while jurisdictions like Australia impose penalties under the Australian Consumer Law for undisclosed paid promotions, reflecting a global emphasis on transparency to mitigate deception.^[77]

Detection Techniques and Prevention

Detection of shills often relies on analyzing behavioral patterns in online interactions, such as unusually high posting volumes from accounts with limited history or coordinated messaging across multiple users that lacks organic variation.^[78] ^[79] In auction contexts, techniques include monitoring bid increments, bidder-seller geographic overlaps, and sequential bidding anomalies using supervised machine learning models like support vector machines (SVM), which classify suspicious activity with precision rates exceeding 90% in empirical tests on eBay data.^[80] ^[81] For social media and reviews, network-based methods detect astroturfing by identifying coordination patterns, such as synchronized hashtag usage or reply chains, as seen in analyses of over 1.5 million political campaign posts where astroturf signals emerged in 15-20% of cases.^[78] Linguistic and content analysis tools further aid detection by flagging emphasis framing—repetitive phrasing or avoidance of counterarguments—that deviates from genuine discourse, a hallmark of paid promotion in empirical studies of lobbying movements.^[82] In recommender systems, shill profiles are identified via rating deviation metrics, where attackers inject profiles with inflated scores (e.g., average rating 20-30% above norms) but exhibit low item coverage or temporal clustering, detectable through unsupervised clustering algorithms achieving up to 85% accuracy in simulated attacks.^[83] ^[84] Platforms like e-commerce sites employ transaction feedback statistics, revealing shill ecosystems where 5-10% of high-volume reviewers share IP addresses or account creation dates, enabling large-scale bidder blacklisting.^[85] Prevention strategies emphasize mandatory transparency and technical safeguards. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires clear disclosure of material connections—such as payments or free products—in endorsements, with violations under Section 5 of the FTC Act treated as deceptive practices; for instance, influencers must use conspicuous tags like #ad in social media posts, as updated in the 2023 Endorsement Guides.^[68] ^[86] Platforms mitigate shilling through proactive filtering, such as recommender algorithms that weight ratings by user trustworthiness scores derived from profile age and variance, reducing attack efficacy by 40-60% in controlled experiments.^[87] Regulatory enforcement includes fines for non-disclosure, with the FTC levying penalties exceeding $1 million in cases of undisclosed influencer campaigns since 2019.^[43] User education campaigns promote verification habits, like cross-checking reviewer histories or seeking diverse sources, while auction sites implement real-time bidder verification via device fingerprinting to deter fake accounts.^[88] In political contexts, transparency laws in jurisdictions like the EU mandate labeling of sponsored content, curbing astroturfing by increasing detection rates through public audits.^[89]

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Sep 3, 2025 · In 2025, about 30% of online reviews are fake, with 82% of consumers encountering them. 67% worry about authenticity, and 85% suspect fakes ...
[37]
The State of Fake Reviews - Statistics and Trends [2025] - Invesp
Platform specificity: The highest percentage of fake reviews is found on Google (10.7%), followed by Yelp (7.1%), Tripadvisor (5.2%), and Facebook (4.9%).General Statistics and Trends... · Financial Impact of Fake...
[38]
(PDF) Linguistic characteristics of shill reviews - Academia.edu
To overcome limitations of identifying shill reviews, we collected shill reviews as primary data from students posing as shills. Using semi-automated natural ...
[39]
Fake Review Statistics (2025): on Amazon & Other Websites
Sep 10, 2025 · In 2025, fake reviews cost consumers $0.12 per dollar, with 30% of online reviews being fake. 82% of consumers encounter fake reviews at least ...Missing: 2023-2025 | Show results with:2023-2025
[40]
The FTC Comes Down Hard on Fake Reviews and Testimonials
Aug 19, 2024 · The maximum civil penalty for fake reviews is $51,744, but the courts could impose a lower penalty depending on the specific case. These new ...
[41]
The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and ...
Nov 8, 2024 · The Commission's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, which went into effect on October 21, 2024, addresses deceptive and unfair conduct.
[42]
FTC Issues Final Rule on Consumer Reviews and Testimonials
Aug 26, 2024 · The Final Rule prohibits businesses from writing, creating, selling, purchasing, or disseminating consumer reviews, consumer testimonials, or ...
[43]
Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers
Nov 1, 2019 · One key is to make a good disclosure of your relationship to the brand. This brochure from FTC staff gives tips on when and how to make good disclosures.
[44]
TikTok is full of shady secret advertisements - Vox
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[45]
Endorsements, Influencers, and Reviews - Federal Trade Commission
The FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials addresses the persistent problem of fake and false consumer reviews and testimonials. Here are ...The Consumer Reviews · FTC's Endorsement Guides · Disclosures 101 for Social...Missing: shilling | Show results with:shilling
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Influencers, are your #materialconnection #disclosures ...
Apr 19, 2017 · If there is a material connection between an endorser and an advertiser, that connection should be clearly and conspicuously disclosed unless it's already ...
[47]
Cyber-shills and the problem with authenticity - Digital Ethics
Jun 10, 2013 · And what is cyber-shilling? It's the act of endorsing a product for money, regardless of quality. It's the digital snake oil business. And it's ...
[48]
It's easy for social media to fill with astroturf - Geeking with Greg
Nov 17, 2023 · It's easy for social media to fill with astroturf ... This is because most people don't post often, and the shills are much more active.
[49]
Influencer Marketing Class Actions Surge in 2025 - Morgan Lewis
Jun 16, 2025 · A wave of class action lawsuits targeting influencer marketing practices has emerged in the first half of 2025, signaling what could be a popular trend.Bengoechea Et Al. V. Shein... · Common Themes · Key TakeawaysMissing: shills | Show results with:shills
[50]
FTC Guidelines for Influencers: Everything You Need to Know in 2025
Mar 3, 2025 · Learn the latest FTC guidelines for influencers, disclosure rules, and compliance tips to ensure transparency in your marketing campaigns.Missing: shilling | Show results with:shilling<|separator|>
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Coordination patterns reveal online political astroturfing across the ...
Mar 17, 2022 · Online political astroturfing—hidden information campaigns in which a political actor mimics genuine citizen behavior by incentivizing ...
[52]
[PDF] The Use of Digital Astroturfing to Spread Disinformation and the ...
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Reviews and Journals at LSU Law Digital. Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in ...<|separator|>
[53]
The Russian Internet Research Agency's political astroturfing on ...
This paper analyzes the social media ads from the viewpoint of 'political astroturfing,' a practice of masking the sponsors of a political message or events to ...Introduction · Theoretical framework · Method
[54]
Assessing the Russian Internet Research Agency's impact ... - PNAS
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[55]
Russian trolls' chief target was 'black US voters' in 2016 - BBC
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[56]
Study Confirms Influence of Russian Internet “Trolls” on 2016 Election
Mar 29, 2022 · A study by Columbia SIPA researchers that examined the impact of Russian internet “trolls” on online betting markets suggests that the trolls' activity ...Missing: astroturfing | Show results with:astroturfing
[57]
[PDF] An Investigation into a U.S. Astroturfing Operation on Facebook ...
Oct 8, 2020 · In this report we assess the tactics and techniques Rally Forge used to create faux-grassroots—also known as astroturf—inauthentic commentary ...
[58]
Political Astroturfing in Turkey: Troll Armies and Democracy
Jul 28, 2021 · Explore how troll armies shape Turkey's democracy through disinformation campaigns on social media and their impact on public opinion.
[59]
Armstrong Williams was paid, but did it really matter? - Summit Daily
Feb 1, 2005 · Have you ever heard of Armstrong Williams? Most haven't, at least until two weeks ago, when Williams was outed as a paid shill for the Bush
[60]
Fear and Loathing in the Media - Columbia Spectator
Mar 3, 2005 · In short, "Gannon" was a shill, someone that Press Secretary Scott McClellan and even President Bush himself could call on for a softball ...
[61]
These are the people paying journalists to promote brands in articles
Jan 18, 2018 · Some publicists recruit writers to secretly mention or link their clients in stories on HuffPost, Forbes, and other sites.
[62]
[PDF] The Big Shill - UCL Discovery
A shill is someone paid to endorse products or companies, pretending to speak on their own behalf, while obscuring their true relationship.
[63]
Crypto Shilling vs. Strategic Promotion: What You Really Need
Aug 6, 2025 · Shilling is an aggressive, often unethical, form of promotion driven by the goal of financial manipulation. It's a low-effort, high-risk tactic ...
[64]
WHAT MOTIVATES CONSUMERS TO PARTAKE IN CYBER ...
Aug 7, 2025 · Included in this progression is cyber shilling (users writing false reviews, either positive or negative; endorsements about products/services ...
[65]
WHAT MOTIVATES CONSUMERS TO PARTAKE IN CYBER ... - jstor
Results indicated that: (1) perceived betrayal increased desire for revenge and reduced brand love; however, it did not lead to involvement in cyber shilling;.
[66]
A Comprehensive Guide on Crypto Shilling - 101 Blockchains
May 11, 2022 · Shilling basically aims to capitalize on the crowd psychology of the crowd by fooling people into purchasing tokens, which don't carry any ...
[67]
Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in ...
Jul 26, 2023 · Staff business guidance applying section 5 of the FTC Act to endorsements and testimonials in advertising is available on the FTC website.Missing: shilling | Show results with:shilling
[68]
FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking
Jun 29, 2023 · An endorsement must reflect the honest opinion of the endorser and can't be used to make a claim the marketer of the product couldn't legally ...Missing: shilling | Show results with:shilling
[69]
Payments for Bullish Articles on Stocks Must Be Disclosed to Investors
Apr 10, 2017 · The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced enforcement actions against 27 individuals and entities behind various alleged stock promotion schemes.
[70]
Lidingo Holdings, LLC, et al., CSIR Group, LLC, et al. - SEC.gov
The Securities and Exchange Commission filed enforcement actions against 27 individuals and entities behind various alleged stock promotion schemes.
[71]
Chapter 468 Section 389 - 2012 Florida Statutes - The Florida Senate
(f) Using or permitting the use of false bidders, cappers, or shills. (g) Making any material false statement on a license application. (h) Commingling ...
[72]
Shill Bidding: The Scourge of eBay | by Javad | ILLUMINATION
Nov 9, 2022 · Being charged under this Act can result in a maximum four year prison sentence, and a fine of $100,000 for individuals and $1 million for ...
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https://nyccriminalattorneys.com/multiple-bidding-auction-fraud-lawyers/
[74]
FTC Broadly Issues Notices on Endorsements and Testimonials to ...
Oct 14, 2021 · The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had sent form Notices to over 700 national retailers, ad agencies, consumer product companies, and others ...Missing: shilling | Show results with:shilling
[75]
A Year Later—Revisiting FTC's Updated Endorsement Guides
Jul 17, 2024 · As evidenced by the 2023 warning letters, advertisers and endorsers alike can be held liable for violations of the FTC Act. Advertisers should ...Missing: shilling | Show results with:shilling
[76]
SEC Announces Enforcement Results for Fiscal Year 2023
Nov 14, 2023 · The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that it filed 784 total enforcement actions in fiscal year 2023, a 3 percent increase over fiscal year ...<|separator|>
[77]
Explained: What is Shilling in crypto, and is it legal? - CNBC TV18
Jan 18, 2022 · Shilling is illegal in traditional financial markets. However, with no tight regulations for cryptocurrencies yet, it is unclear what kind of ...
[78]
Coordination patterns reveal online political astroturfing across the ...
Mar 17, 2022 · Our analysis uses a network-based methodology to identify such coordination patterns in all campaigns contained in the largest publicly ...
[79]
(PDF) Controlling astroturfing on the internet: A survey on detection ...
Aug 9, 2025 · Researchers have adopted many approaches to detect astroturfing on the web. These approaches include content analysis techniques, individual and ...
[80]
Online Detection of Shill Bidding Fraud Based on Machine Learning ...
May 30, 2018 · The learned SVM model once online is to be launched at the end of the bidding period of each auction to detect suspicious bidders before ...
[81]
Review article Real-time detection of shill bidding in online auctions
This paper investigates the real-time detection techniques of shill bidding. It also provides a brief overview of major work that has been conducted in shill ...
[82]
(PDF) Detecting Astroturf Lobbying Movements - ResearchGate
This article seeks to develop a method to detect astroturf movements based on emphasis framing analysis. The hypothesis is that astroturf groups employ ...Missing: promoters | Show results with:promoters
[83]
(PDF) Preventing shilling attacks in online recommender systems
In this paper we propose several metrics for analyzing rating patterns of malicious users and evaluate their potential for detecting such shilling attacks.
[84]
Shilling Attack Detection—A New Approach for a Trustworthy ...
Mar 10, 2011 · Inappropriate products can be offered to users by injecting a few unscrupulous “shilling” profiles into the recommender system. This research ...
[85]
Large-Scale Shill Bidder Detection in E-commerce
Our results show that (1) shill bidders can be identified with high precision based on their transaction and feedback statistics; and (2) in contrast to ...2 Related Work · 4 Empirical Evaluation · 5 The Shill Bidder Ecosystem
[86]
16 CFR Part 255 -- Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and ...
The Guides address the application of section 5 of the FTC Act, 15 USC 45, to the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.Missing: shilling | Show results with:shilling
[87]
[PDF] Preventing Shilling Attacks in Online Recommender Systems
Building upon these results, we propose and evaluate an algorithm for protecting rec- ommender systems against shilling attacks. The algorithm can be employed ...Missing: marketing reviews
[88]
[PDF] A Reliable Approach to Identifying Shill Bidding in Online Auctions
Many consumer guidance websites and newspapers have provided auction fraud detection tips, such as checking if a seller and a suspicious bidder are from the ...
[89]
Online astroturfing: A problem beyond disinformation - Sage Journals
Jun 16, 2022 · This paper shows that astroturfing creates additional problems for social media platforms and the online environment in general.