Our team recently uncovered sophisticated scam kits engineered to harvest sensitive data and deceive consumers. However, underground marketplaces are not limited to malware and stolen credentials. They also host services specifically designed to manipulate public perception of the products and services you encounter daily.
In our latest investigation, we explored cybercrime forums where vendors promote illicit “reputation management” services. For a fee, these underground operators offer to flood a product with glowing, five-star ratings or scrub negative feedback. This shadowy industry functions in both directions—artificially inflating reputations while simultaneously suppressing legitimate consumer complaints.
A significant trend we are observing in this sector is the integration of new technology. We discovered that cybercriminals are now utilizing AI to automate these fraudulent review campaigns. This capability allows them to rapidly generate realistic, human-sounding feedback in large quantities with minimal manual effort.
In the first instance, identified on a prominent English-language underground forum, a seller operating under the handle “aqenova” promotes both five-star review generation and negative review removal services.
The seller’s operations encompass widely used platforms, including Google, Trustpilot, Yelp, and various mobile app stores. By simply asking prospective buyers, “Just tell me which platform reviews you need?” the seller presents reputation manipulation as an on-demand service.
Analyzing the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of another seller, “TrustForge,” revealed surprising details regarding how these operations function behind the scenes.
First, the seller asserts that real individuals manually post these reviews, providing a guarantee for both successful delivery and “non-drop” status—ensuring the platform does not flag or remove the feedback at a later date.
It is important to remember that a real person posting a review does not equate to a genuine customer. The critical question remains whether they actually utilized the product or service and are providing an honest account of their experience.
Second, this appears to be a coordinated team effort rather than a solo venture, as the seller charges an additional fee if a buyer requests that the primary operator personally draft the review text.
However, what drew our attention most was their confidence in bypassing platform security checks. The seller guarantees their fake reviews will remain active, citing reliance on a closely guarded “private method.” According to TrustForge’s own claims, this technique has enabled them to post more than 10,000 fraudulent reviews.
A single negative review is often sufficient to create a poor first impression of a product or service. When such negative comments accumulate, they can severely damage a business’s reputation and financial performance.
Recognizing the desperation businesses may feel to protect their image, our research team identified underground services specifically offering to remove “fake” or “unfair” reviews from major platforms like Google and Trustpilot.
Naturally, the distinction between what is truly fake and what a business merely deems “unfair” can be ambiguous. While businesses can legitimately contest fabricated reviews, these services raise concerns regarding whether genuine customer grievances are also being targeted.
When legitimate customer complaints are suppressed, consumers are deprived of information that could assist them in making informed purchasing decisions.
On average, removing a single review through these underground services costs between $100 and $200. However, pricing fluctuates significantly depending on the platform.
For example, one vendor advertised Airbnb review removal for approximately $1,100 per review.
When you examine a business’s reviews, you are looking for patterns in the experiences of others. If authentic complaints are removed, you might overlook recurring issues regarding refunds, product quality, or customer service.
Over the past few months, our research team identified an interesting thread on an underground forum where two users discussed utilizing AI to mimic human E-E-A-T.
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a quality evaluation framework detailed in Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which human evaluators use to assess content quality. E-E-A-T itself is not a direct ranking factor.
In the discussion we monitored, one user asked the community if it was possible to leverage AI to effectively simulate these qualities when drafting product reviews to artificially boost website rankings. The response was a resounding yes.
Another user claimed they had never encountered issues getting Google to index their entirely AI-generated reviews.
To prevent fake reviews from being flagged and deleted, scammers must appear as everyday consumers. To achieve this, they utilize “residential and mobile proxies,” which route their internet traffic through other connections to obscure its origin.
Think of an IP address as your computer’s caller ID. When scammers use bulk IP addresses from large data centers, platforms may identify and block that traffic as originating from commercially hosted infrastructure. Residential proxies, conversely, route traffic through actual, physical home internet connections—much like the Wi-Fi in your living room. Mobile proxies function similarly but utilize real cellular networks.
Our team recently identified a seller on an underground forum acting as a direct supplier of these residential and mobile connections. The seller explicitly markets them as ideal for executing fake review campaigns.
The primary objective of this research is not to induce panic or discourage you from trusting any online reviews. We aim to raise awareness regarding the activities occurring behind the scenes so you can make more informed buying decisions.
If a product or offer appears too good to be true, yet is supported by a mountain of perfect five-star reviews, take a moment to pause. Scammers frequently use these artificially inflated ratings to make a poor deal seem trustworthy.
Read recent reviews and some of the middle-rated ones, rather than relying solely on the overall score. Look for recurring details regarding the factors that matter to you, such as durability, delivery, or refund policies.
Watch for repeated phrasing or sudden surges of glowing feedback. These signs do not definitively prove a review is fake, but they are reasons to investigate further. Additionally, verify the seller’s contact information and return policy.
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Unsure about an offer, even with glowing reviews? Share the link or a screenshot with Malwarebytes Scam Guard for assistance in identifying signs of a scam before you make a purchase.
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