Review Guide

Publication review protocol

General introduction

Our objective: to publish well-documented, useful and independent content to help internet users better understand fraud, spot warning signs, verify the credibility of information, a website, an offer or a service, and adopt the right reflexes when faced with online risks.

Since 2012, Scam Or Reliable has published alerts, guides, prevention articles and analyses according to a demanding methodology, with one single aim: to protect consumers and strengthen their vigilance.

We do not accept any payment to publish a positive evaluation, alter a conclusion or promote a brand. All our content is accessible free of charge, with no sponsorship or paid-for content. Our financial independence relies solely on affiliate partnerships and advertising, where present and clearly disclosed (learn more).

Our mission

We inform our readers about:

• online scams, emerging fraud and deceptive practices;
• warning signs that help identify a suspicious message, website, offer or service;
• the mechanisms used by fraudsters to manipulate, reassure or pressure people into acting too quickly;
• the right reflexes to adopt before sharing data, paying, clicking or replying;
• useful steps to take in the event of doubt, an attempted scam or proven fraud;
• products, services, platforms or offers that require in-depth verification;
• testimonials, consumer feedback, official warnings and public information useful for analysis.

A common methodology for all our publications

Whether it is an anti-fraud alert, a prevention article, a report on cybercrime or an analysis of a product/service, our approach is based on the same principles: verification, cross-checking, neutrality and usefulness for the reader.

Our protocol is based in particular on:

• identifying the main risk: fraud, impersonation, phishing, false promises, deceptive commercial practices, abusive data collection or lack of transparency;
• analyzing warning signs: artificial urgency, excessive promises, lack of legal information, overly reassuring language, unusual payment methods, dubious testimonials or visible inconsistencies;
• cross-checking available information: official sources, institutional websites, review platforms, consumer feedback, legal notices, terms of sale, public data and recurring reports;
• putting the issue into context: clearly explaining how the scam, risk or practice being analyzed works;
• editorial caution: no baseless accusations, no hasty conclusions, and a clear distinction between verified facts, concerning signs and simple hypotheses;
• updating content: correcting or enriching content when new reliable information becomes available.

Specific criteria depending on the type of publication

1. Anti-fraud alerts

• Identification of the type of scam or threat.
• Explanation of the method used by fraudsters.
• Highlighting warning signs that are easy to spot.
• Practical advice to avoid the trap.
• Guidance towards useful steps in the event of fraud or an attempted fraud.

2. Prevention and cybercrime articles

• Clear popularization of the risks linked to fraud, phishing, fake technical support, identity theft or online manipulation.
• Explanation of the techniques used to deceive internet users.
• Concrete advice to protect your data, payment methods and online accounts.
• References to reliable sources when the topic requires them.

3. Analyses of products, services, websites or offers

• Review of legal notices, general terms and conditions of sale, privacy policies and advertised guarantees.
• Analysis of commercial promises, prices, subscriptions, hidden charges or refund conditions.
• Study of online reputation and available consumer feedback.
• Research into deceptive practices, missing information or warning signs.
• Balanced presentation of positive points, limits, uncertainties and elements requiring caution.

Editorial criteria

For each publication:

• clear, structured and accessible presentation;
• editorial neutrality and absence of gratuitous judgment;
• distinction between verified information, analysis, testimony and recommendation for caution;
• spelling, grammar and editorial review;
• rejection of any automatically generated content without human validation;
• updating when important information changes.

Review and validation

Our content is prepared, checked or reviewed according to its nature and level of sensitivity [1]. When the topic requires it, we may seek the opinion of our independent consultants in order to bring an additional perspective to a specific field.

Each important publication is reviewed before going online in order to verify the consistency of the reasoning, the clarity of the explanations, the relevance of the sources used and the absence of excessive wording.

Use of artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence may be used as a tool to assist with research, structuring or rewording, but it does not replace human validation.

No sensitive content is published automatically without editorial review. Important information is reread, checked and corrected before publication.

Independence and transparency

To guarantee the reliability of our content, we apply strict principles:

• no sponsored article presented as an independent analysis;
• no payment accepted to publish a favourable conclusion;
• no modification of a conclusion at the request of a brand or seller;
• transparency regarding the possible presence of affiliate or advertising links;
• respect for user confidentiality;
• correction of reported errors when they are verifiable.

Limits of our content

Our publications are intended to inform, prevent and help with decision-making. They do not replace the opinion of an official authority, a qualified professional, a legal adviser, a doctor or a competent body when the situation requires it.

In the event of proven fraud, financial loss, threats, data theft or identity theft, it is recommended that appropriate steps be taken with official platforms, your bank, the competent authorities or specialized services.

In summary

Our approach is based on rigour, transparency, neutrality and usefulness. Each publication is designed to help internet users better understand the risks, recognize the traps and act with caution when faced with fraud, dubious offers and deceptive practices.

Guidelines on testimonials and comments

Our ambition is to make testimonials a tool for mutual support and vigilance: each review should help other readers better understand a situation, identify a risk or avoid a bad experience.

To build a constructive and reliable community, we apply the following rules:

• Objective: to publish honest, useful, understandable and constructive testimonials.
• Strict moderation: rejection of hateful, defamatory, threatening, insulting, promotional, copied or clearly abusive comments. [2]
• Verification: possibility of requesting supporting evidence when a testimonial requires minimal authentication.
• Deletion or modification: possible for comments that are off-topic, incomprehensible, overly personal, excessive, written in text-message style, in excessive capital letters or in an inappropriate format.
• Publication: each comment goes through an automatic filter before being published.
• Limit: when a thread becomes too large, only new testimonials that are genuinely useful may be accepted.
• Correction: if an inappropriate comment slips through, any visitor can report it via the contact page.

Notes

• Note 1: We do not use AI without human oversight for writing: each article is written and validated manually, which explains the deliberately limited publishing pace each week.
• Note 2: Comment modifications relate only to form: spelling, clarity, readability or format. We never alter the substance of a testimonial or its associated rating.