A grounded theory of how consumers determine the veracity of online user reviews

Michelle Walther, Steven Watson, Alexander Boden and Marielle Stel

Behaviour and Information Technology, 2026, vol. 45, issue 4, 694-710

Abstract: Consumers use 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. However, there is still limited understanding of how consumers assess the veracity of online reviews, or incorporate online reviews into purchasing decisions, especially outside of laboratory settings. Therefore, this study uses a grounded theory approach to explore how consumers determine the veracity and trustworthiness of online user reviews. Twenty-five interviews with consumers were held to identify veracity cues, thought processes and other markers of online shopping behaviour. The results show that consumers use online reviews differently depending on context (e.g. product value, consumer knowledge). Our findings support the development of a theory suggesting that consumers evaluate reviews through a two-step process. First, consumers scan the review for relevance and then subsequently evaluate trustworthiness, credibility, and veracity. The different deception cues that are used by consumers are also identified and classified. These findings offer new insights of how consumers identify fake reviews online.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2025.2528764

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