A Grounded Theory of how Consumers Determine the Veracity of Online User Reviews

Consumers are using online reviews to decide which products to purchase. Cybercriminals produce fake reviews to influence unknowing consumers into buying products of lower quality, which can lead to financial,emotional and physical damage. We have little understanding of how consumers make decisions about the veracity of online reviews, or incorporate online re-views into purchasing decisions, especially outside of the laboratory. Therefore, in this study using a grounded theory approach we elaborate on how consumers determine the veracity and trustworthiness of online user reviews.Twenty-five interviews with Dutch and German consumers were held to identify deception cues, thought processes and other markers of online shopping behaviour. The results show that consumers use online reviews differently depending on context.Ournew theory proposes that consumers process reviews in at least two steps. First,they scan the review for relevance and then they determine the trustworthiness, credibility, and veracity. Additionally, we identified different deception cues that are used. Together, these findings lead the way into a new understanding of human fake review detection online.