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Reporting on fraud, review manipulation, misleading information and the work of protecting consumers and honest businesses.
19 articles in kwikchex-investigations
Independent research initiative builds on years of consumer protection, investigative work and industry reform. For well over a decade, KwikChex has been at the forefront of protecting timeshare owners from misinformation, misrepresentation and fraud. Working alongside enforcement agencies, regulators, journalists, bro
A year ago In April 2025, KwikChex issued a warning about Central Paralegals. The company had been contacting timeshare owners and persuading them to pay thousands of pounds for purported timeshare termination services. We were initially concerned about the aggressive cold calling methods used by two linked companies,
Trustpilot and a Drug Dealer You Can Trust How a global “trust” platform is being used to launder criminal credibility Fresh investigations are exposing the true scale of harm and deception being facilitated through Trustpilot — a platform relied upon by millions of consumers to judge whether a business is safe, legiti
On 19 October 2025, The Guardian published an article highlighting KwikChex’s investigation into fraudulent investment firms exploiting the Trustpilot review platform. The report warned of the risks these fake reviews and deceptive online practices pose to consumers and legitimate businesses. Scam investment firms regu
12 Years on from the start of investigations, the £27 million ‘Monster’ fraud case has ended with the convictions of 14 people From initial evaluations by investigations business KwikChex in 2013, through a six-year investigation by the police, and four trials that have taken 2 years to conclude, this has to be conside
‘KwikChex Investigates’ news release 12 September 2025 ‘Brutal Timeshare Dictators’ are facing an owners’ revolution Seasons Holidays bosses have been accused of using bullying, coercive tactics in attempts to control timeshare owners who are complaining about failures to deliver on ‘dream investment’ promises – now th
KwikChex is seeking assistance from loan providers, advisors and authorities after uncovering a multimillion-pound fraud enabled by equity release. KwikChex is helping consumers who fell prey to a purported real estate and holiday club investment scheme. Many of those affected were persuaded to remortgage their homes t
KwikChex, an expert on online reviews, and a renowned verification, investigation and resolutions business has carried out an evaluation of the debate on online reviews for solicitors. Since 2021, the SRA has been actively encouraging solicitors to engage with online reviews resources. In June, they produced a report w
Trustpilot uses the slogan “Find companies you can trust” – referring to those that have achieved a high ‘Trustscore’ on its platform – but these ratings can lead people relying on supposed trustworthiness into very unsafe situations. Here are some facts about businesses with these trusted ratings and the reviewers tha
Following the latest analysis of content on the Trustpilot reviews website, KwikChex is commencing a series of actions to tackle serious misinformation and fraud. The case against Trustpilot Trustpilot uses the slogan “Find companies you can trust”. This is intended to persuade consumers that businesses with a high rat
After an investigation by KwikChex and an article in The Mirror, Trustpilot has removed over 20,000 reviews from one business profile. The KwikChex investigation revealed how crypto business Nova Wallet has rocketed to the top of Trustpilot’s UK Banking and Money category, with 23,000 reviews. The investigation then fo
When KwikChex started an investigation into how a new crypto business called Nova Wallet instantly jumped into the number 1 rated UK company in Trustpilot’s UK Banking and Money Services (“Best in Banking & Money”), we had no idea that it would lead to a trail of businesses ‘ultra-hyped’ by celebrity endorsements and p
