Malwarebytes exposes underground trade in fake online reviews

Malwarebytes researchers inspected cybercrime forums where operators offer reputation management services, including flooding products with five-star reviews or removing negative feedback. In one instance, a seller using the handle “aqenova” advertised both five-star generation and review removal across platforms such as Google, Trustpilot, Yelp, and mobile app stores, offering a simple prompt to tell buyers which platforms to target.

The work is portrayed as a coordinated operation rather than a one-person endeavour, with explicit notes that an extra fee applies if the main operator writes the review text personally.

The investigation also examines a seller named TrustForge, whose FAQ reveals that real people manually post reviews and guarantee successful delivery and “non-drop” status. The report notes that the operation claims to have posted over 10,000 fake reviews using a “private method” designed to evade platform checks. Price points for removing legitimate or “fake/unfair” reviews are cited, typically $100–$200 per removal, with higher fees (around $1,100) for removing Airbnb reviews.

The piece also highlights the use of AI to simulate Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), and the use of residential and mobile proxies to resemble ordinary users. Overall, the article presents evidence from underground forums and compares platform-facing claims with the risks to consumers and businesses when reviews are manipulated.