Report finds 20% of Yelp reviews fake

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced this week 19 companies agreed to cease their practice of commissioning fake online reviews and pay fines for false advertising and deceptive business practices.

Schneiderman pointed to a study co-authored by Michael Luca, assistant professor at Harvard Business School, which found the number of fraudulent Yelp reviews rose from 5 percent in 2006 to 20 percent in 2013, according to MarketWatch.

The report suggests companies have hired freelance writers from Philippines, Bangladesh and Eastern Europe to write positive reviews on the user-review site.

Read more at MarketWatch.