Trustpilot Exposed: How a “Review Platform” Protects Scammers and Silences the Truth

I’m Danny de Hek, aka The Crypto Ponzi Scheme Avenger. My mission is to expose scammers, Ponzi promoters, and multilevel marketing bottom feeders who prey on everyday people and destroy families. In this video, I’m pulling back the curtain on Trustpilot — a company that claims to be the “universal symbol of trust,” but in reality, protects scammers while silencing whistleblowers.

The RecoveryFin Experiment

It all started with RecoveryFin, one of many fake “crypto recovery services” targeting people who have already been scammed. Their model is simple: buy a fresh domain, make promises of guaranteed recovery, demand large upfront fees, and then vanish.

On May 8, 2025, RecoveryFin received a one-star review from a victim.

On August 9, 2025, I added my own one-star review with evidence and receipts to back it up.

Within hours, Trustpilot removed it, claiming their “detection software” flagged my review as suspicious.

So, I ran an experiment. I reposted the exact same review, word for word, but gave RecoveryFin a five-star rating instead. Guess what? It was approved instantly and stayed online for over two weeks.

When RecoveryFin itself flagged the review, Trustpilot demanded I provide “documentation” — like receipts or proof of service. The irony? Scammers don’t issue receipts. That’s the point.

Flipping the Stars

After publishing my blog and emailing Trustpilot (including a CC to their legal team), they emailed back saying the documentation I provided was enough — and they reactivated my review. But here’s the kicker: they only reactivated it as the five-star version.

So I pushed the system to the limit. I edited the review back to the one-star rating it deserved. Now the question is, will it remain, or will Trustpilot bury it again?

Reviewing Trustpilot Itself

To test their system further, I left a one-star review of Trustpilot on their own profile. Unlike my RecoveryFin warnings, this review was approved immediately.

Here’s what I wrote:

Reviews Don’t Work the Same for Everyone
I tested Trustpilot’s system by reviewing a so-called crypto recovery service. My one-star review with evidence never made it online. Out of curiosity, I reposted the exact same review — word for word — but gave the company five stars instead. That version went live instantly and stayed online for over two weeks.
This shows how the platform’s filters punish genuine warnings but allow glowing praise for questionable businesses. Consumers think they’re seeing balanced feedback, but the system is tilted. If you can only post positive reviews without them being challenged, how much trust can anyone really have in “Trust”pilot?

This was allowed through instantly — proof that Trustpilot’s filters are inconsistent at best, biased at worst.

The Business Model Behind the Curtain

Why does this happen? Simple. Trustpilot’s real customers are businesses, not consumers.

They make money from paid plans that can cost businesses thousands of dollars per year. The more a company pays, the more control it gets over how it appears on the platform. Positive reviews keep those businesses happy, which keeps the money flowing. Negative reviews drive businesses away, which hurts their revenue.

That’s why scam companies can pump out hundreds of fake five-star reviews from brand-new accounts without issue, while genuine warnings are filtered, flagged, or deleted.

Defamation Allowed, Warnings Silenced

While my evidence-backed reviews get censored, Trustpilot allows defamatory reviews about me to stay online — including one that outrageously compared me to a terrorist. That review remains, despite having zero evidence and being posted by someone with no real review history.

Meanwhile, RecoveryFin and other scams get to flood the system with meaningless one-liners like “Great company, fast service!” from sock-puppet accounts — reviews that Trustpilot never questions.

The Bigger Problem

Trustpilot is not a watchdog. It’s not a platform for consumer protection. It’s a reputation management business, one that profits from selling credibility to the very companies consumers need protection from.

I’ve been featured in the New York Times, Bloomberg, ABC News in America, Channel 9 in Australia, and across New Zealand media as the biggest scam fighter in Australasia. I also work with agencies like the FBI, Homeland Security, and the IRS to track and expose fraud.

And yet, on Trustpilot, my voice is silenced while scammers thrive. That tells you everything you need to know.

Full Blog & Documentation

I’ve published the full timeline of this investigation on my blog, complete with evidence, screenshots, and the emails Trustpilot sent me:
👉 https://www.dehek.com/general/ponzi-scheme-scamalerts/trustpilot-exposed-how-a-review-platform-protects-scammers-and-silences-the-truth/

Bottom line: Trustpilot is not the “universal symbol of trust.” It’s a pay-to-play system that protects businesses — even scammers — while punishing consumers and whistleblowers who try to tell the truth