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There's no reason that a rival company couldn't fake negative reviews though. I'm sure it's common already.

They do. Storage Facilities more than restaurants.

Visually looking at the ratings curve can be a good indicator.

Its the reviewers who need to be reviewed. Or, in a true social sense trusted reviewers should be followed and the rest ignored.

When my friend's mother opened her restaurant in Koreatown, they received, amongst other welcome-to-the-neighborhoods: phantom Yelp reviews (describing tickets and events that never occurred) and a string of big table reservations (no shows). One such "review" complaining about a rat infestation was written by a then Yelp Elite member rather than an obvious sockpuppet.

Who can you trust when even trust is gamed?

What happens when a trusted reviewer gets recognised as such, and starts getting offers to do faked reviews for cash? This is a classic example in other mediums, eg. radio. Trust is a double-edged sword.

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