NEW YORK • California-based Rotten Tomatoes, in a bid to thwart fake reviews, said on Thursday it would offer a new feature that shows reviews and ratings by verified moviegoers.

The push is part of an effort to increase consumer confidence in its rating system at a time when online trolls have tried to game the system by trashing movies they may have never seen. Trolls previously waged campaigns to lower audience ratings for such movies as Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by posting negative comments.

Under the new feature, moviegoers who buy tickets through seller Fandango can enter their rating on Rotten Tomatoes through Fandango's app or website.

When they post their rating, it will appear on the Fandango-owned Rotten Tomatoes as part of the "verified audience" section. Consumers who cannot verify their tickets through Fandango can still enter their reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but these will not be included under the verified audience section.

DPA