Gaming positive reviews online is getting harder.
The website Yelp — which connects local businesses with user-contributed reviews on everything from restaurants to local dentists — recently launched a new "Consumer Alert" system that clamps down on fraudulent reviews.
A warning message will appear on business pages, when Yelp believes a company has paid for its reviews. One potential red flag is a large number of reviews from the same Internet Protocol or IP address. Another possible sign of suspicious activity can be a reviewer or commentor with little or no profile details.
Yelp's new system is part of a larger technolgy trend in which savvy digital consumers are demanding transparency and objective reviews on everything from businesses to specific products. Facebook launched a plan this summer to crack down on suspicious fake page "Likes." Businesses, large and small, create company-specific pages on Facebook and encourage followers to "Like" them. (Read more: Facebook Police: Site to Crack Down on Suspicious Likes)