PUBLIC TRACES

A WORKED INVESTIGATION

What does repeated overlap look like?

Start with one reviewer’s history. Follow nearby five-star reviews of the same products. See which reviewers appear again.

Generated example · no real accounts

ONE RESULT, EXPLAINED

Reviewer demo-129
appears in 5 distinct egos.

The search opened 10 reviewer histories and reached 100 reviewers. This reviewer has a corroboration count of 5.

An ego is the local neighborhood around one opened reviewer: people giving five stars to the same products around the same time. Each distinct opened ego adds at most one count to a reviewer, even when several products overlap.

Where the count comes from

Here are 3 supporting egos. Each row shows one shared product and the two five-star review dates, within the selected ±56-day window.

Examples supporting the selected reviewer’s computed corroboration count
Opened reviewerShared productOpened reviewer’s datedemo-129’s dateCount added
demo-18P000042019-04-072019-04-03+1 ego
demo-192P000042019-03-042019-04-03+1 ego
demo-89P000042019-03-272019-04-03+1 ego

These rows are examples from the computed result. The complete ledger below includes the remaining supporting egos and product connections.

FROM A RESULT TO A CONTRIBUTION

What would you share?

An investigation records what was observed and where it came from. See a small excerpt from this same example and how future reviewed contributions would work.

View an example contribution →
Change the search settings 10 histories · cap 3 · ±56 days

The budget limits histories opened. The cap guides which reviewer is opened next; it does not cap the count reported for that reviewer. The time window defines nearby activity.

Inspect the full result Counts, supporting egos, product bursts, and search history
Reviews in the example610Full generated panel; the search opens selected histories.
Histories opened10
Complete product windows8seed egos
Highest corroboration5distinct seed egos

COLLECTION PROGRESS

Each history adds context.

100 reviewers reached
First historyLast opened history

CORROBORATION LEDGER

Inspect the reasons.

Up to 30 reviewers

A count records appearance across distinct opened neighborhoods. Expand a row to see supporting seeds, products, and weeks.

demo-1292 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P0000490
demo-192P0000490
demo-89P0000490
demo-215P0000097
demo-178P0000097
demo-1605 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0003362
demo-129P0000090
demo-215P0000090
demo-215P0002655
demo-178P0000090
demo-178P00017146
demo-178P0002341
demo-178P0003362
demo-209P0002655
demo-1616 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-192P0003362
demo-129P0000097
demo-129P00000104
demo-215P0000097
demo-215P00000104
demo-215P0002662
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P00000104
demo-178P00017153
demo-178P0002355
demo-178P0003362
demo-209P00007160
demo-209P0002662
demo-1623 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-129P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P00017146
demo-209P00007160
demo-1684 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007153
demo-192P0001427
demo-129P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P0001427
demo-178P00017146
demo-209P00007153
demo-209P0001427
demo-1924 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P0000462
demo-89P0000462
demo-129P0000462
demo-178P0001413
demo-178P0003355
demo-209P00007153
demo-209P0001413
demo-1972 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-129P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-178P0000097
demo-209P00007160
demo-2003 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007153
demo-129P00000132
demo-215P00000132
demo-178P00000132
demo-178P0002355
demo-209P00007153
demo-2183 products5 egos

5 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 5 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 5

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0003341
demo-129P0000090
demo-215P0000090
demo-215P0002655
demo-178P0000090
demo-178P0003341
demo-209P0002655
demo-1061 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P0000490
demo-192P0000490
demo-89P0000490
demo-129P0000490
demo-1081 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P0000490
demo-192P0000490
demo-89P0000490
demo-129P0000490
demo-1172 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0001469
demo-129P00035174
demo-178P0001469
demo-209P0001469
demo-1636 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007153
demo-192P0001427
demo-192P0003355
demo-215P0002662
demo-178P0001427
demo-178P00017160
demo-178P0002341
demo-178P0003355
demo-209P00007153
demo-209P0001427
demo-209P0002662
demo-1664 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-192P0001427
demo-192P0003355
demo-215P0002655
demo-178P0001427
demo-178P0003355
demo-209P00007160
demo-209P0001427
demo-209P0002655
demo-1713 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P00000104
demo-215P00000104
demo-215P0002655
demo-178P00000104
demo-178P0002348
demo-209P0002655
demo-1723 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0003348
demo-129P00000104
demo-215P00000104
demo-178P00000104
demo-178P00017146
demo-178P0003348
demo-1743 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-215P0002662
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P00017139
demo-209P0002662
demo-1783 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0001420
demo-192P0003355
demo-129P00000132
demo-215P00000132
demo-209P0001420
demo-182 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-25P0002583
demo-192P0000490
demo-89P0000490
demo-129P0000490
demo-2153 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-25P00009132
demo-129P0000090
demo-178P0000090
demo-209P0002648
demo-421 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P00004111
demo-192P00004111
demo-89P00004111
demo-129P00004111
demo-92 products4 egos

4 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 4 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 4

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007167
demo-129P0000069
demo-215P0000069
demo-209P00007167
demo-12 products3 egos

3 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 3 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 3

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000062
demo-129P00000132
demo-129P00004160
demo-215P0000062
demo-215P00000132
demo-178P00000132
demo-101 products3 egos

3 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 3 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 3

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P00000146
demo-215P00000146
demo-178P00000146
demo-1011 products3 egos

3 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 3 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 3

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P00000118
demo-215P00000118
demo-178P00000118
demo-1041 products3 egos

3 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 3 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 3

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P00000111
demo-215P00000111
demo-178P00000111
demo-1132 products3 egos

3 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 3 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 3

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0000434
demo-89P0000434
demo-178P00000174
demo-1152 products3 egos

3 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 3 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 3

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000062
demo-129P0000097
demo-215P0000062
demo-215P0000097
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P0002397
demo-1161 products3 egos

3 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 3 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 3

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-178P0000097
demo-1261 products3 egos

3 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 3 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 3

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000090
demo-215P0000090
demo-178P0000090

Complete means product windows covered for captured five-star seed reviews. Seed histories may be truncated. Counts are public-trace evidence, not fraud probabilities.

PRODUCT-TIME STRUCTURE

Observed product bursts

ProductReviewsReviewersWindow spanCorroboration mass
P00000393653 days123
P00007161617 days59
P00033171720 days57
P00000202056 days52
P00017151521 days49
P00026141414 days49
P00021131318 days39
P00023111156 days38
P000148820 days31
P00038101050 days29
P000428817 days27
P00000191956 days24

Mass sums corroboration counts within an observed cluster. It is not a probability.

Search history

A history with no eligible ego can still be opened. 8 of the 10 opened histories produced eligible egos with complete product-window coverage in this generated example.

StepOpened historyNeighborsReviewers reached
1demo-18910
2demo-26010
3demo-25413
4demo-1923643
5demo-89743
6demo-1296185
7demo-110085
8demo-2156190
9demo-17870100
10demo-20930100

Each example was computed with the paper’s existing Python implementation on generated records, using fixed random seed 42. Choosing settings opens the matching precomputed result. No real accounts are included. Explore the completed Amazon 2023 findings →