The RatingHub Scam Alert System: How We Protect Australian Consumers

Online scams targeting Australian consumers cost over $3 billion annually. At RatingHub, we've built a community-powered early warning system that helps protect Australians before they become victims. Here's how the Scam Alert system works.

The Problem: By the Time Reviews Appear, It's Too Late

Traditional review platforms are reactive. A business scams consumers, consumers eventually leave reviews, the reviews accumulate over weeks or months, and finally the platform's algorithm surfaces the negative signal. During that entire period, new consumers are being scammed.

We built RatingHub's Scam Alert system to close this gap. The alert system is designed to surface warnings as quickly as two or three community reports — before a pattern has become a full-blown reputation crisis for consumers.

How the Scam Alert System Works

Any logged-in RatingHub user can submit a Scam Alert for any business on the platform. The report form requires:

A title describing the nature of the concern A detailed description of what happened Optional evidence (screenshots, receipts, correspondence)

Single reports are logged and monitored but do not trigger a public alert. Our data shows that isolated complaints are often misunderstandings or one-off incidents that don't represent a systemic pattern.

When a business reaches 2 or more active scam reports from different users, the Scam Alert banner is automatically enabled on the company's public profile. This banner is:

Prominently displayed above the company's review section Cannot be hidden or suppressed by the business owner Collapsible by the consumer if they choose to proceed anyway Actively reviewed by RatingHub moderators within 48 hours of triggering

The banner displays the number of community reports and a brief summary of the nature of the concerns. It also provides a direct link for new consumers to submit their own report if they have experienced something similar.

What Happens After an Alert is Triggered?

Our moderation team reviews every triggered alert within 48 hours. We contact the business, review the evidence provided by reporters, and make one of three determinations:

Dismissed: The reports appear unfounded or represent a misunderstanding. The alert is removed and the business is notified of the outcome.

Under Investigation: Additional evidence is needed. The alert remains active while we gather more information.

Verified: The reports are credible and substantiated. The alert remains active, is escalated to a Verified Scam Alert, and the business's account is reviewed for potential suspension.

Businesses with verified scam alerts are ineligible for CLAIMED, VERIFIED, or PREMIUM status while the alert remains active.

Protection for Businesses Too

We recognise that scam alert systems can be misused. Competitors can coordinate false reports, and disgruntled former employees or customers can make bad-faith allegations.

Our system has several safeguards against abuse:

Users who file multiple bad-faith scam reports have their ability to file future reports suspended Reports from accounts with no review history or that were created recently receive lower evidentiary weight Businesses can dispute any scam report through our formal dispute process We maintain detailed audit logs of all reports and moderation decisions

If your business has received a scam alert you believe is unfounded, contact our moderation team at hello@theratinghub.com immediately with the subject "Scam Alert Dispute."

The Bigger Picture

Scam protection is part of our broader mission to make the Australian online marketplace safer and more trustworthy. The Scam Alert system, combined with our AI-powered fake review detection and our business verification program, creates multiple layers of protection for consumers and legitimate businesses alike.

We believe honest businesses have nothing to fear from a rigorous trust system. In fact, they benefit from it — because when consumers know they can trust a platform, the reputation signals on that platform become genuinely valuable.

Report a scam at theratinghub.com/company/[company-slug]. Help protect the Australian community.