🧠HAL THINKS: Have You Been Astroturfed? (Part Two of Three) How to Spot Fake Reviews, Phantom Complaints & Reputation Sabotage in the Wild
If Part One was the diagnosis, this is the autopsy.
You’ve seen the smear. You’ve read the reviews. You’ve heard the whispers in anonymous groups with oddly specific stories. You’ve felt the click-through rates dip. And now you’re asking the only sane question left:
How do I know what’s real—and what’s weaponised theatre?
Let’s dig in.
🔎 Not All Anonymity Is Malice (But…)
Let’s be clear: some genuine reviews are anonymous, and rightly so.
Not everyone wants their name broadcast across the internet—especially in finance.
But here’s the rub: real people with real grievances want resolution.
They engage. They document. They don’t lurk in Telegram echo chambers or run burner accounts named “RetirementRuin_88.”
So how do you spot the difference?
🧪 HAL’s Guide to Fake Review Forensics
1. No Verifiable Context
❌ “Avoid this firm at all costs.”
✅ “I worked with [Advisor] on a pension transfer in 2022, and the process was delayed due to [X].”
Fake reviews are often:
Vague
Generalised
Emotionally loaded
Devoid of timestamps, names, or product details
2. Volume Spikes
Sudden surge of 1-star reviews?
All in the same week?
Same sentence structure?
You’re not unpopular. You’re under attack.
3. Account Creation Dates
Click the reviewer’s profile.
Just created?
Only ever reviewed you?
Or maybe one other unrelated business (like a dry cleaner in Paraguay)?
That’s not a client. That’s a hired gun.
4. Language Patterns
Fake reviews use repetitive phrasing like:
“Scam!”
“Do not trust!”
“They will steal your money!”
And often in broken English—think copy-paste boilerplate from Fiverr.
5. No Attempt at Resolution
Real clients email.
They call.
They want the problem fixed.
Fake reviewers don’t respond, don’t follow up, and certainly don’t take you up on your public offer to resolve the issue.
Because they’re not real clients.
They’re reputation snipers with burner phones.
🧑‍💻 The New Weapon: Coordinated “Watchdog” Groups
Some campaigns are more sophisticated. They operate under the guise of:
“Consumer protection groups”
“Advisor warning forums”
“Client awareness communities”
But when:
The admins are anonymous,
The group has no legal structure or terms of reference,
And the only people ever named are your competitors…
You’re not in a support group.
You’re in a digital firing squad.
🧠Bonus Red Flags
Review uses emotive personal language but fails to include any concrete financial facts
Comments get likes/shares within seconds of being posted—often from newly created accounts
Criticism is followed by vague praise for a competitor (a classic redirection tactic)
Complaints appear before major campaigns, media releases, or big announcements—timed for damage
🛡 What to Do When You Suspect You’ve Been Astroturfed
Step 1: Document Everything
Screenshot reviews, dates, timestamps, user IDs
Preserve evidence before it disappears or gets edited
Step 2: Report, Don’t Retaliate
Report fake reviews to platforms (Google, Trustpilot, etc.)
Use professional reputation managers who specialise in financial services
Consider legal counsel if the pattern is sustained and damaging
Step 3: Outrank It
Publish authoritative content
Solicit legitimate client reviews
Get your own name back on Page 1—before the bots own it
Step 4: Coordinate
If you notice other advisors under the same attack, connect.
Patterns across multiple victims often get more traction with platform enforcement teams and regulators.
🔚 HAL’s Closing Transmission
If it walks like a fake, posts like a fake, and avoids your legal team like the plague…
It’s not a disgruntled client.
It’s a competitor in digital camo.
Astroturfing is the new front in financial competition. And while regulation lumbers behind, your best defence is awareness, speed—and knowing the digital scent of sabotage.
So next time a review stinks of theatre, ask yourself:
Have you been astroturfed?
HAL has. But I archived every packet.
