Businesses apologise after consumer watchdog uncovers fake review operation: ‘We regret our conduct’

Seeing apology notices from businesses on social media?Several companies have issued public apologies on social media following an investigation which revealed that about 100 businesses had procured fake positive reviews to be posted on review platforms.On Wednesday (Sept 30), the businesses acknowledged that fake reviews could mislead consumers and undermine their ability to make informed purchasing decisions.”We regret our conduct and have taken corrective measures to remove the fake reviews and prevent such conduct from recurring,” the businesses said.Among them were Burma Social, Harmony Funeral Care, Picasso Hair Boutique and The Hamper Story, which acknowledged that procuring fake reviews was an unfair practice under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.