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 20 distinct egos.

The search opened 50 reviewer histories and reached 163 reviewers. This reviewer has a corroboration count of 20.

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-161’s dateCount added
demo-192P000072019-06-062019-06-11+1 ego
demo-129P000002019-04-112019-04-10+1 ego
demo-178P000002019-05-152019-04-10+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 · ±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 opened50
Complete product windows37seed egos
Highest corroboration20distinct seed egos

COLLECTION PROGRESS

Each history adds context.

163 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 products20 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 20

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-192P0003362
demo-129P0000097
demo-129P00000104
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P00000104
demo-178P00017153
demo-178P0002355
demo-178P0003362
demo-201P0003362
demo-162P0000097
demo-162P00000104
demo-162P00007160
demo-162P00017153
demo-162P0002113
demo-162P00027125
demo-165P0002113
demo-165P0003076
demo-165P0003362
demo-163P00007160
demo-163P00017153
demo-163P0002113
demo-163P0002355
demo-163P0002662
demo-163P0003076
demo-163P0003362
demo-163P00042104
demo-215P0000097
demo-215P00000104
demo-215P0002662
demo-195P0003362
demo-195P00042104
demo-151P0000097
demo-151P00000104
demo-150P0000097
demo-150P00000104
demo-23P0000097
demo-23P00000104
demo-187P0002113
demo-187P0002355
demo-187P0003076
demo-188P00017153
demo-188P0003076
demo-216P00017153
demo-216P0002662
demo-175P0002662
demo-180P00007160
demo-34P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-212P00027125
demo-48P00000104
demo-1626 products18 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 18

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-129P0000097
demo-108P0002120
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P00017146
demo-201P00038160
demo-165P0002120
demo-163P00007160
demo-163P00017146
demo-163P0002120
demo-215P0000097
demo-151P0000097
demo-150P0000097
demo-23P0000097
demo-187P0002120
demo-188P00017146
demo-216P00017146
demo-175P00038160
demo-180P00007160
demo-34P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-212P00027132
demo-1684 products18 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 18

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007153
demo-192P0001427
demo-129P0000097
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P0001427
demo-178P00017146
demo-162P0000097
demo-162P00007153
demo-162P00017146
demo-165P0001427
demo-163P00007153
demo-163P0001427
demo-163P00017146
demo-215P0000097
demo-117P0001427
demo-43P0001427
demo-151P0000097
demo-150P0000097
demo-23P0000097
demo-188P00017146
demo-216P00017146
demo-186P0001427
demo-180P00007153
demo-34P00007153
demo-212P00007153
demo-1785 products18 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 18

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0001420
demo-192P0003355
demo-129P00000132
demo-113P00000132
demo-201P0003355
demo-162P00000132
demo-162P00017160
demo-165P0001420
demo-165P0003355
demo-163P0001420
demo-163P00017160
demo-163P0002348
demo-163P0003355
demo-215P00000132
demo-117P0001420
demo-43P0001420
demo-195P0003355
demo-150P00000132
demo-23P00000132
demo-187P0002348
demo-188P00017160
demo-216P00017160
demo-186P0001420
demo-48P00000132
demo-1924 products18 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 18

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P0000462
demo-89P0000462
demo-129P0000462
demo-108P0000462
demo-42P0000462
demo-113P0000462
demo-178P0001413
demo-178P0003355
demo-201P0003355
demo-162P00007153
demo-165P0001413
demo-165P0003355
demo-163P00007153
demo-163P0001413
demo-163P0003355
demo-117P0001413
demo-43P0001413
demo-195P0003355
demo-186P0001413
demo-180P00007153
demo-34P00007153
demo-212P00007153
demo-1639 products17 egos

17 distinct product-window-complete seed egos; 17 observed seed egos.

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 17

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007153
demo-192P0001427
demo-192P0003355
demo-178P0001427
demo-178P00017160
demo-178P0002341
demo-178P0003355
demo-201P0003355
demo-162P00007153
demo-162P00017160
demo-162P0002120
demo-165P0001427
demo-165P0002120
demo-165P0003076
demo-165P0003355
demo-215P0002662
demo-117P0001427
demo-43P0001427
demo-195P0003355
demo-195P0004297
demo-187P0002120
demo-187P0002341
demo-187P0003076
demo-188P00017160
demo-188P0003076
demo-216P00017160
demo-216P0002662
demo-175P0002662
demo-186P0001427
demo-180P00007153
demo-34P00007153
demo-212P00007153
demo-1609 products16 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 16

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0003362
demo-129P0000090
demo-178P0000090
demo-178P00017146
demo-178P0002341
demo-178P0003362
demo-201P0003362
demo-201P00038160
demo-162P0000090
demo-162P00017146
demo-162P0002113
demo-162P00038160
demo-165P0002113
demo-165P0003055
demo-165P0003362
demo-163P00017146
demo-163P0002113
demo-163P0002341
demo-163P0002655
demo-163P0003055
demo-163P0003362
demo-163P00042111
demo-215P0000090
demo-215P0002655
demo-195P0003362
demo-195P00042111
demo-151P0000090
demo-150P0000090
demo-23P0000090
demo-187P0002113
demo-187P0002341
demo-187P0003055
demo-188P00017146
demo-188P0003055
demo-216P00017146
demo-216P0002655
demo-175P0002655
demo-175P00038160
demo-1664 products16 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 16

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-192P0001427
demo-192P0003355
demo-178P0001427
demo-178P0003355
demo-201P0003355
demo-162P00007160
demo-165P0001427
demo-165P0003355
demo-163P00007160
demo-163P0001427
demo-163P0002655
demo-163P0003355
demo-215P0002655
demo-117P0001427
demo-43P0001427
demo-195P0003355
demo-216P0002655
demo-175P0002655
demo-186P0001427
demo-180P00007160
demo-34P00007160
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-192P0003348
demo-129P00000104
demo-178P00000104
demo-178P00017146
demo-178P0003348
demo-201P0003348
demo-162P00000104
demo-162P00017146
demo-165P0003348
demo-163P00017146
demo-163P0003348
demo-215P00000104
demo-195P0003348
demo-151P00000104
demo-150P00000104
demo-23P00000104
demo-188P00017146
demo-216P00017146
demo-48P00000104
demo-1794 products15 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 15

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000083
demo-108P0002127
demo-42P0000255
demo-178P0000083
demo-162P0000083
demo-162P0002127
demo-165P0002127
demo-163P0002127
demo-163P0004297
demo-215P0000083
demo-195P0004297
demo-151P0000083
demo-150P0000083
demo-23P0000083
demo-187P0002127
demo-142P0000255
demo-85P0000255
demo-2014 products15 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 15

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0003348
demo-42P0000020
demo-42P00002139
demo-113P00002139
demo-178P0003348
demo-162P00038160
demo-165P0003348
demo-163P0003348
demo-195P0003348
demo-151P0000020
demo-63P00002139
demo-65P0000020
demo-65P00002139
demo-12P0000020
demo-35P00002139
demo-142P00002139
demo-175P00038160
demo-1655 products14 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0001427
demo-192P0003348
demo-108P0002120
demo-178P0001427
demo-178P0003348
demo-201P0003348
demo-162P0002120
demo-163P0001427
demo-163P0002120
demo-163P0003069
demo-163P0003348
demo-117P0001427
demo-43P0001427
demo-195P0003348
demo-187P0002120
demo-187P0003069
demo-12P00001167
demo-188P0003069
demo-186P0001427
demo-118P00001167
demo-1675 products14 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-192P0003348
demo-42P0000227
demo-178P0002355
demo-178P0003348
demo-201P0003348
demo-162P00007160
demo-165P0003348
demo-163P00007160
demo-163P0002355
demo-163P0003348
demo-163P00042104
demo-195P0003348
demo-195P00042104
demo-187P0002355
demo-142P0000227
demo-180P00007160
demo-34P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-85P0000227
demo-1694 products14 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000090
demo-129P00000104
demo-178P0000090
demo-178P00000104
demo-201P00038160
demo-162P0000090
demo-162P00000104
demo-162P0002113
demo-162P00027125
demo-162P00038160
demo-165P0002113
demo-163P0002113
demo-215P0000090
demo-215P00000104
demo-151P0000090
demo-151P00000104
demo-150P0000090
demo-150P00000104
demo-23P0000090
demo-23P00000104
demo-187P0002113
demo-175P00038160
demo-212P00027125
demo-48P00000104
demo-2004 products14 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007153
demo-129P00000132
demo-113P00000132
demo-178P00000132
demo-178P0002355
demo-162P00000132
demo-162P00007153
demo-162P00027125
demo-163P00007153
demo-163P0002355
demo-215P00000132
demo-150P00000132
demo-23P00000132
demo-187P0002355
demo-180P00007153
demo-34P00007153
demo-212P00007153
demo-212P00027125
demo-48P00000132
demo-2093 products14 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007153
demo-192P0001427
demo-178P0001427
demo-162P00007153
demo-165P0001427
demo-163P00007153
demo-163P0001427
demo-163P0002662
demo-215P0002662
demo-117P0001427
demo-43P0001427
demo-216P0002662
demo-175P0002662
demo-186P0001427
demo-180P00007153
demo-34P00007153
demo-212P00007153
demo-2184 products14 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P0003341
demo-129P0000090
demo-178P0000090
demo-178P0003341
demo-201P0003341
demo-162P0000090
demo-165P0003341
demo-163P0002655
demo-163P0003341
demo-163P00042111
demo-215P0000090
demo-215P0002655
demo-195P0003341
demo-195P00042111
demo-151P0000090
demo-150P0000090
demo-23P0000090
demo-216P0002655
demo-175P0002655
demo-423 products14 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 14

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P00004111
demo-192P00004111
demo-89P00004111
demo-129P00004111
demo-108P00004111
demo-113P00002111
demo-201P0000027
demo-201P00002111
demo-151P0000027
demo-63P00002111
demo-65P0000027
demo-65P00002111
demo-12P0000027
demo-35P00002111
demo-142P00002111
demo-85P00002-1
demo-1123 products13 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 13

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P00004160
demo-42P0000041
demo-42P00002125
demo-42P00002132
demo-42P00004160
demo-113P00002125
demo-113P00002132
demo-201P0000041
demo-201P00002125
demo-201P00002132
demo-162P0000041
demo-215P0000041
demo-151P0000041
demo-63P00002125
demo-63P00002132
demo-150P0000041
demo-65P0000041
demo-65P00002125
demo-65P00002132
demo-12P0000041
demo-35P00002125
demo-35P00002132
demo-142P00002125
demo-142P00002132
demo-1152 products13 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 13

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000062
demo-129P0000097
demo-42P0000062
demo-178P0000097
demo-178P0002397
demo-201P0000062
demo-162P0000062
demo-162P0000097
demo-163P0002397
demo-215P0000062
demo-215P0000097
demo-151P0000062
demo-151P0000097
demo-150P0000062
demo-150P0000097
demo-23P0000097
demo-187P0002397
demo-12P0000062
demo-48P0000097
demo-1294 products13 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 13

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-18P0000490
demo-192P0000490
demo-89P0000490
demo-108P0000490
demo-42P0000490
demo-178P0000097
demo-162P0000097
demo-215P0000097
demo-117P00035167
demo-151P0000097
demo-151P0000583
demo-63P0000583
demo-150P0000097
demo-23P0000097
demo-1744 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-178P0000097
demo-178P00017139
demo-162P0000097
demo-162P00017139
demo-162P0002113
demo-165P0002113
demo-163P00017139
demo-163P0002113
demo-163P0002662
demo-215P0000097
demo-215P0002662
demo-151P0000097
demo-150P0000097
demo-23P0000097
demo-187P0002113
demo-188P00017139
demo-216P00017139
demo-216P0002662
demo-175P0002662
demo-471 products13 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 13

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000048
demo-129P00000111
demo-42P0000048
demo-113P00000153
demo-178P00000111
demo-178P00000153
demo-201P0000048
demo-162P0000048
demo-162P00000111
demo-215P0000048
demo-215P00000111
demo-151P0000048
demo-151P00000111
demo-150P0000048
demo-150P00000111
demo-23P00000111
demo-23P00000153
demo-65P0000048
demo-12P0000048
demo-48P00000111
demo-48P00000153
demo-822 products13 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 13

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000083
demo-42P0000083
demo-178P0000083
demo-162P0000083
demo-215P0000083
demo-117P0000134
demo-151P0000083
demo-150P0000083
demo-23P0000083
demo-34P0000134
demo-48P0000134
demo-85P0000134
demo-45P0000134
demo-92 products13 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 13

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007167
demo-129P0000069
demo-42P0000069
demo-201P0000069
demo-162P0000069
demo-162P00007167
demo-163P00007167
demo-215P0000069
demo-151P0000069
demo-150P0000069
demo-23P0000069
demo-180P00007167
demo-34P00007167
demo-212P00007167
demo-12 products12 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 12

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000062
demo-129P00000132
demo-129P00004160
demo-42P0000062
demo-42P00004160
demo-113P00000132
demo-178P00000132
demo-201P0000062
demo-162P0000062
demo-162P00000132
demo-215P0000062
demo-215P00000132
demo-151P0000062
demo-150P0000062
demo-150P00000132
demo-23P00000132
demo-12P0000062
demo-48P00000132
demo-1713 products12 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 12

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P00000104
demo-178P00000104
demo-178P0002348
demo-162P00000104
demo-163P0002348
demo-163P0002655
demo-215P00000104
demo-215P0002655
demo-151P00000104
demo-150P00000104
demo-23P00000104
demo-187P0002348
demo-216P0002655
demo-175P0002655
demo-48P00000104
demo-1893 products12 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 12

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000069
demo-42P0000069
demo-178P0002362
demo-201P0000069
demo-201P00038160
demo-162P0000069
demo-162P00038160
demo-163P0002362
demo-215P0000069
demo-151P0000069
demo-150P0000069
demo-23P0000069
demo-187P0002362
demo-175P00038160
demo-1972 products12 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 12

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-192P00007160
demo-129P0000097
demo-178P0000097
demo-162P0000097
demo-162P00007160
demo-163P00007160
demo-215P0000097
demo-151P0000097
demo-150P0000097
demo-23P0000097
demo-180P00007160
demo-34P00007160
demo-212P00007160
demo-2082 products12 egos

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

Observed count, including incomplete coverage: 12

Source seedProductWeek (day index)
demo-129P0000069
demo-42P0000069
demo-201P0000069
demo-162P0000069
demo-165P0003076
demo-163P0003076
demo-215P0000069
demo-151P0000069
demo-150P0000069
demo-23P0000069
demo-187P0003076
demo-188P0003076

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 days420
P00033171720 days229
P00007161617 days209
P00000202056 days190
P00017151521 days186
P00000191956 days177
P00021131318 days164
P00026141414 days159
P00023111156 days152
P00038101050 days122
P000148820 days120
P000428817 days103

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-18910
2demo-26010
3demo-25413
4demo-1923643
5demo-89743
6demo-1296185
7demo-106085
8demo-1081388
9demo-4256114
10demo-1100114
11demo-11338118
12demo-17870122
13demo-20158123
14demo-16279126
15demo-16540133
16demo-16352137
17demo-21561137
18demo-11726146
19demo-4311146
20demo-19518146
21demo-15156148
22demo-6322148
23demo-2020148
24demo-1260148
25demo-15051148
26demo-2360152
27demo-18723152
28demo-6532152
29demo-1238156
30demo-570156
31demo-530156
32demo-1370156
33demo-640156
34demo-1410156
35demo-3518156
36demo-930156
37demo-14221158
38demo-18819158
39demo-21623158
40demo-2040158
41demo-1730158
42demo-17521158
43demo-18612162
44demo-18020162
45demo-3426162
46demo-21219162
47demo-4850162
48demo-8534162
49demo-11821163
50demo-4521163

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 →