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-161
appears in 29 distinct egos.

The search opened 50 reviewer histories and reached 116 reviewers. This reviewer has a corroboration count of 29.

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 ±14-day window.

Examples supporting the selected reviewer’s computed corroboration count
Opened reviewerShared productOpened reviewer’s datedemo-161’s dateCount added
demo-129P000002019-04-112019-04-10+1 ego
demo-179P000002019-03-302019-04-10+1 ego
demo-160P000002019-04-012019-04-10+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 50 histories · cap 5 · ±14 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 opened50
Complete product windows37seed egos
Highest corroboration29distinct seed egos

COLLECTION PROGRESS

Each history adds context.

116 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-16110 products29 egos

29 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 29 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 29

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-129P00000104
demo-179P0000097
demo-179P0002113
demo-179P00042104
demo-160P0000097
demo-160P00017153
demo-160P0002113
demo-160P0002355
demo-160P0002662
demo-160P0003362
demo-160P00042104
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-215P00000104
demo-215P0002662
demo-218P0000097
demo-218P00000104
demo-218P0002662
demo-218P00042104
demo-96P0000097
demo-96P00000104
demo-171P0000097
demo-171P00000104
demo-171P0002355
demo-171P0002662
demo-172P0000097
demo-172P00000104
demo-172P00017153
demo-172P0003362
demo-47P00000104
demo-104P0000097
demo-104P00000104
demo-164P0002113
demo-164P0002662
demo-207P0002113
demo-187P0002113
demo-187P0002355
demo-187P0003076
demo-16P0000097
demo-195P0003362
demo-195P00042104
demo-175P0002662
demo-196P00017153
demo-196P0003362
demo-210P00042104
demo-101P00000104
demo-206P0002355
demo-200P00007160
demo-200P0002355
demo-200P00027125
demo-190P00007160
demo-190P0003362
demo-185P00017153
demo-185P0003362
demo-194P00017153
demo-188P0003076
demo-189P0002355
demo-9P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-212P00027125
demo-1626 products25 egos

25 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 25 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 25

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-179P0002120
demo-160P0000097
demo-160P00017146
demo-160P0002120
demo-160P00038160
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-172P00017146
demo-104P0000097
demo-164P0002120
demo-207P0002120
demo-187P0002120
demo-16P0000097
demo-175P00038160
demo-196P00017146
demo-206P00038160
demo-200P00007160
demo-200P00027132
demo-190P00007160
demo-185P00017146
demo-194P00017146
demo-188P00017146
demo-189P00038160
demo-9P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-212P00027132
demo-1608 products23 egos

23 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 23 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 23

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000090
demo-179P0000090
demo-179P0002113
demo-84P0000090
demo-215P0000090
demo-215P0002655
demo-218P0000090
demo-218P0002655
demo-218P00042111
demo-96P0000090
demo-171P0002341
demo-171P0002655
demo-172P00017146
demo-172P0003362
demo-164P0002113
demo-164P0002655
demo-207P0002113
demo-207P0003362
demo-187P0002113
demo-187P0002341
demo-16P0000090
demo-195P0003362
demo-195P00042111
demo-175P0002655
demo-175P00038160
demo-196P00017146
demo-196P0003362
demo-210P00042111
demo-206P0002341
demo-206P00038160
demo-200P0002341
demo-190P0003362
demo-185P00017146
demo-185P0003362
demo-194P00017146
demo-188P00017146
demo-189P00038160
demo-1638 products21 egos

21 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 21 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 21

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-179P0002120
demo-179P0004297
demo-160P00017160
demo-160P0002120
demo-160P0002341
demo-160P0002662
demo-160P0003355
demo-215P0002662
demo-218P0002662
demo-218P0003355
demo-218P0004297
demo-171P0002341
demo-171P0002662
demo-172P0003355
demo-164P0002120
demo-164P0002662
demo-207P0002120
demo-207P0003355
demo-187P0002120
demo-187P0002341
demo-187P0003076
demo-195P0003355
demo-195P0004297
demo-175P0002662
demo-196P00017160
demo-196P0003355
demo-210P0004297
demo-206P0002341
demo-200P00007153
demo-200P0002341
demo-190P00007153
demo-190P0003355
demo-185P00017160
demo-185P0003355
demo-194P00017160
demo-188P0003076
demo-9P00007153
demo-212P00007153
demo-1694 products20 egos

20 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 20 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 20

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000090
demo-129P00000104
demo-179P0000090
demo-160P0000090
demo-160P0002113
demo-160P00038160
demo-84P0000090
demo-215P0000090
demo-215P00000104
demo-218P0000090
demo-218P00000104
demo-96P0000090
demo-96P00000104
demo-171P0000090
demo-171P00000104
demo-172P0000090
demo-172P00000104
demo-47P00000104
demo-104P00000104
demo-207P0002113
demo-187P0002113
demo-16P0000090
demo-175P00038160
demo-101P00000104
demo-206P00038160
demo-200P00027125
demo-189P00038160
demo-212P00027125
demo-1683 products18 egos

18 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 18 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 18

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-160P00017146
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-172P00017146
demo-104P0000097
demo-16P0000097
demo-196P00017146
demo-200P00007153
demo-190P00007153
demo-185P00017146
demo-194P00017146
demo-188P00017146
demo-212P00007153
demo-1744 products18 egos

18 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 18 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 18

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-179P0002113
demo-160P0000097
demo-160P00017139
demo-160P0002113
demo-160P0002662
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-215P0002662
demo-218P0000097
demo-218P0002662
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-171P0002662
demo-172P0000097
demo-172P00017139
demo-47P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-164P0002113
demo-164P0002662
demo-207P0002113
demo-187P0002113
demo-175P0002662
demo-196P00017139
demo-194P00017139
demo-188P00017139
demo-1151 products16 egos

16 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 16 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 16

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-47P0000062
demo-47P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-189P0000062
demo-1P0000062
demo-9P0000062
demo-151P0000062
demo-33P0000062
demo-1674 products16 egos

16 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 16 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 16

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-179P00042104
demo-160P0003348
demo-160P00042104
demo-218P0003348
demo-218P00042104
demo-171P0002355
demo-172P0003348
demo-207P0003348
demo-187P0002355
demo-195P0003348
demo-195P00042104
demo-196P0003348
demo-210P00042104
demo-200P00007160
demo-200P0002355
demo-190P00007160
demo-190P0003348
demo-185P0003348
demo-189P0002355
demo-9P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-1292 products15 egos

15 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 15 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 15

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P0000490
demo-89P0000490
demo-108P0000490
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-47P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-1P00004174
demo-112P00004174
demo-1663 products15 egos

15 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 15 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 15

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-160P0002655
demo-160P0003355
demo-215P0002655
demo-218P0002655
demo-218P0003355
demo-171P0002655
demo-172P0003355
demo-164P0002655
demo-207P0003355
demo-195P0003355
demo-175P0002655
demo-196P0003355
demo-200P00007160
demo-190P00007160
demo-190P0003355
demo-185P0003355
demo-9P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-1723 products15 egos

15 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 15 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 15

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P00000104
demo-160P00017146
demo-160P0003348
demo-218P00000104
demo-218P0003348
demo-96P00000104
demo-171P00000104
demo-47P00000104
demo-104P00000104
demo-207P0003348
demo-195P0003348
demo-196P00017146
demo-196P0003348
demo-101P00000104
demo-190P0003348
demo-185P0003348
demo-194P00017146
demo-188P00017146
demo-1812 products15 egos

15 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 15 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 15

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-160P00038174
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-47P00000153
demo-104P0000097
demo-16P0000097
demo-175P00038174
demo-206P00038174
demo-189P00038174
demo-1972 products15 egos

15 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 15 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 15

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-47P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-200P00007160
demo-190P00007160
demo-9P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-2184 products15 egos

15 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 15 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 15

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000090
demo-179P0000090
demo-179P00042111
demo-160P0000090
demo-160P0002655
demo-160P00042111
demo-84P0000090
demo-215P0000090
demo-215P0002655
demo-96P0000090
demo-171P0000090
demo-171P0002655
demo-172P0000090
demo-172P0003341
demo-164P0002655
demo-207P0003341
demo-16P0000090
demo-195P0003341
demo-195P00042111
demo-175P0002655
demo-196P0003341
demo-210P00042111
demo-1713 products14 egos

14 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 14 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P00000104
demo-160P0002348
demo-160P0002655
demo-215P00000104
demo-215P0002655
demo-218P00000104
demo-218P0002655
demo-96P00000104
demo-172P00000104
demo-47P00000104
demo-104P00000104
demo-164P0002655
demo-187P0002348
demo-175P0002655
demo-101P00000104
demo-206P0002348
demo-200P0002348
demo-1772 products14 egos

14 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 14 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-160P00038167
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-47P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-175P00038167
demo-206P00038167
demo-189P00038167
demo-1784 products14 egos

14 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 14 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-160P00017160
demo-160P0002348
demo-160P0003355
demo-218P0003355
demo-171P0002348
demo-172P0003355
demo-207P0003355
demo-187P0002348
demo-195P0003355
demo-196P00017160
demo-196P0003355
demo-206P0002348
demo-200P00000132
demo-200P0002348
demo-190P0003355
demo-185P00017160
demo-185P0003355
demo-194P00000132
demo-194P00017160
demo-1P00000132
demo-1982 products13 egos

13 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 13 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 13

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-47P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-200P00027132
demo-212P00027132
demo-1653 products12 egos

12 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 12 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 12

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-179P0002120
demo-160P0002120
demo-160P0003348
demo-218P0003348
demo-172P0003348
demo-164P0002120
demo-207P0002120
demo-207P0003348
demo-187P0002120
demo-187P0003069
demo-195P0003348
demo-196P0003348
demo-190P0003348
demo-185P0003348
demo-188P0003069
demo-1793 products12 egos

12 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 12 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 12

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000083
demo-160P0000083
demo-160P0002127
demo-84P0000083
demo-215P0000083
demo-218P0000083
demo-218P0004297
demo-164P0002127
demo-207P0002127
demo-187P0002127
demo-16P0000083
demo-195P0004297
demo-210P0004297
demo-9P0000083
demo-2013 products12 egos

12 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 12 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 12

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-160P0003348
demo-160P00038160
demo-218P0003348
demo-172P0003348
demo-207P0003348
demo-195P0003348
demo-175P00038160
demo-196P0003348
demo-206P00038160
demo-190P0003348
demo-185P0003348
demo-189P00038160
demo-112P00002139
demo-1161 products11 egos

11 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 11 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 11

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-47P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-1501 products11 egos

11 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 11 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 11

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-16P0000097
demo-1842 products11 egos

11 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 11 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 11

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-179P0002120
demo-160P0002120
demo-160P0003348
demo-218P0003348
demo-172P0003348
demo-164P0002120
demo-207P0002120
demo-207P0003348
demo-187P0002120
demo-195P0003348
demo-196P0003348
demo-190P0003348
demo-185P0003348
demo-2162 products11 egos

11 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 11 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 11

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-160P00017146
demo-160P0002655
demo-215P0002655
demo-218P0002655
demo-171P0002655
demo-172P00017146
demo-164P0002655
demo-175P0002655
demo-196P00017146
demo-185P00017146
demo-194P00017146
demo-188P00017146
demo-241 products11 egos

11 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 11 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 11

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000097
demo-179P0000097
demo-160P0000097
demo-84P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-218P0000097
demo-96P0000097
demo-171P0000097
demo-172P0000097
demo-104P0000097
demo-16P0000097
demo-1261 products10 egos

10 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 10 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 10

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000090
demo-179P0000090
demo-160P0000090
demo-84P0000090
demo-215P0000090
demo-218P0000090
demo-96P0000090
demo-171P0000090
demo-172P0000090
demo-16P0000090
demo-1922 products10 egos

10 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 10 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 10

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-160P0003355
demo-218P0003355
demo-172P0003355
demo-207P0003355
demo-195P0003355
demo-196P0003355
demo-200P00007153
demo-190P00007153
demo-190P0003355
demo-185P0003355
demo-212P00007153
demo-1963 products10 egos

10 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 10 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 10

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-160P00017146
demo-160P0003355
demo-218P0003355
demo-172P00017146
demo-172P0003355
demo-207P0003355
demo-195P0003355
demo-210P00041104
demo-190P0003355
demo-185P00017146
demo-185P0003355
demo-194P00017146
demo-188P00017146

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
P00000161614 days231
P00000141414 days206
P00026141414 days192
P00007151511 days191
P00021111114 days181
P00033131314 days168
P0001710109 days137
P000389913 days131
P000238814 days126
P000427713 days107
P000277711 days102
P00030668 days84

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. 37 of the 50 opened histories produced eligible egos with complete product-window coverage in this generated example.

StepOpened historyNeighborsReviewers reached
1demo-1856
2demo-2516
3demo-8946
4demo-1293234
5demo-106034
6demo-108535
7demo-1793348
8demo-1605467
9demo-842971
10demo-202071
11demo-2153473
12demo-126073
13demo-2184373
14demo-962574
15demo-1713674
16demo-1724175
17demo-473186
18demo-1042187
19demo-1642087
20demo-2072187
21demo-1872088
22demo-176088
23demo-161990
24demo-1951890
25demo-1752090
26demo-1962590
27demo-210890
28demo-1011090
29demo-2062195
30demo-20034105
31demo-19024105
32demo-18519105
33demo-19424105
34demo-18814105
35demo-2040105
36demo-1730105
37demo-18921106
38demo-123106
39demo-923106
40demo-170106
41demo-11218114
42demo-60114
43demo-15111114
44demo-00114
45demo-3313116
46demo-560116
47demo-280116
48demo-270116
49demo-100116
50demo-21219116

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 →