Lunar Astro Audit Repository

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Module 04: Astroturfing & Fake Reviews

Subject: Deepanshu Giri / Lunar Astro

Audit Type: Reputation Manipulation

Platforms Analyzed: Trustpilot, Google Reviews, Quora

1. The Illusion of Consensus

Astroturfing is the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public. Our audit of Lunar Astro's online presence reveals a highly coordinated astroturfing operation designed to bury legitimate consumer complaints.

Critical Finding: Analysis of 5-star reviews across major platforms shows distinct bot-like patterns: identical phrasing, accounts with zero prior review history, and massive spikes in positive reviews immediately following a legitimate negative complaint (review bombing).

2. Suppression of Genuine Feedback

By flooding platforms with fabricated positive sentiment, Lunar Astro artificially inflates its trust score. This not only deceives new consumers but actively suppresses the voices of actual victims, making it exceedingly difficult for users to find accurate information regarding the ₹22 Lakh fraud and other financial anomalies.