Most startups begin with a spark, an idea, a frustration, a quiet moment of clarity. TruRex began with something far less elegant: I was scammed.

Like many people, I relied on what appeared to be credible online reviews. The platform seemed trustworthy, the comments looked authentic, the experience was rated highly and yet, the moment I arrived, it was clear I’d been completely misled. I lost money, time, and confidence. But the deeper sting was emotional: how had it become so hard to know what (or who) to trust anymore?

I’ve spent my entire career across global communications and corporate affairs, helping businesses build trust, navigate complexity and communicate transparently. And yet even I couldn’t see through the noise, the fake reviews, the hidden incentives, the polished algorithms. That moment stayed with me.

The Fake Review Epidemic: Why Trust Is Broken

For more than a decade, online reviews were meant to simplify our lives. A shortcut to truth. A way to choose a hotel we’d love, a restaurant that wouldn’t disappoint or an experience worthy of our time and money.

But that promise has eroded.
Quietly. Systemically. Globally.

There was a time when the internet felt human.
Social media felt alive, messy, funny, opinionated, imperfect and very clearly real. When someone recommended a hotel, a café, or a local service, you trusted that it came from an actual person.

Earlier this year, I was travelling with my parents for their 49th wedding anniversary, a milestone that felt tender, important and irreplaceable. Vienna had always been on my mum’s dream list, and I wanted to make the trip unforgettable.

So I did what millions of people do every day:
I researched.
Endlessly.