Recent coverage on ITV News highlighted a growing concern: fake online reviews appearing on major platforms including Trustpilot.

The investigation showed how easily five-star reviews can be generated and published, potentially creating a false sense of credibility for businesses that may have little or no proven track record.

In regulated sectors such as construction and safety training, that is not just misleading. It can also present real risk.

As a training provider operating in the UK construction sector, we are seeing a noticeable increase in impersonation tactics, cloned websites and suspicious digital activity. The methods are becoming more sophisticated.

Star ratings alone are no longer a sufficient measure of credibility.

Here is how construction employers and learners should be verifying a UK training provider in 2026.

1. Check the Company’s Legal Status Before Anything Else

Before looking at reviews, check the company itself.

Search the provider on:

• Companies House
• Endole

You are looking for:

• Active company status
• Incorporation date
• Consistent registered address
• Named directors
• No pattern of repeated dissolved companies using similar branding

If a business claims long-standing sector experience but was incorporated recently, that inconsistency should be queried.

A legitimate training provider should have a traceable corporate footprint that aligns with their marketing claims.

2. Verify Accreditation Independently

Construction training sits within a complex framework of scheme owners and awarding bodies.

If a provider advertises approvals linked to organisations such as:

• CITB
• CSCS
• NPORS
• CPCS
• UKATA
• NOCN

Do not rely solely on logos displayed on a website.

Logos can be copied. Scheme names can be referenced without formal approval.

Where directories are available, check the awarding body’s official register.

Where directories are not publicly available:

• Ask the provider for their centre number or approval reference
• Contact the awarding body directly
• Request written confirmation of scheme alignment

A reputable provider should be transparent and comfortable evidencing their approval status.

3. Examine the Website, Email Domain and Digital Footprint

Impersonation attempts often rely on look-alike domains.

For example:

• constructiontraining-uk.co.uk
• constructiontraininguk.com
• constructiontrainings-uk.co.uk

Small differences can be easy to miss.

Check for:

• Added or missing letters
• Extra hyphens
• Different top-level domains
• Email addresses that do not exactly match the official website

For example:

• info@constructiontraininguk.co.uk (matches the official domain)
• info@constructiontraininguk-support.com (does not match the official domain)

Rather than clicking links in an email:

• Google the company name and domain independently
• Check whether the website appears consistently in search results
• See if the domain is referenced on Endole
• Confirm company details align with Companies House records

Established providers tend to have:

• A visible search history
• Consistent branding over time
• Mentions across multiple independent sources

A brand-new website with hundreds of five-star reviews and no wider digital footprint should prompt further checks.

4. Look at LinkedIn — Both the Company and the Individuals

In the construction training sector, a credible provider will usually have:

• A company page on LinkedIn
• Named directors or managers with visible employment history
• Real employees connected to the business
• Engagement from industry professionals

Search for:

• The company name
• The named director
• How long they have been associated with the business
• Whether their profile reflects genuine sector experience

Be cautious if:

• There is no LinkedIn presence at all
• Profiles were created very recently
• There is no professional network or engagement

In a regulated sector, transparency matters.

5. Treat Reviews as Supporting Evidence — Not Proof

Online reviews can still be helpful. They can show patterns of service quality and client satisfaction.

But they should never be the sole basis for decision-making.

Be cautious of:

• Large volumes of generic five-star reviews
• Repetitive wording
• Reviews posted in short timeframes
• No neutral or balanced feedback

Patterns tell you more than star counts.

Why This Matters in Construction

Construction training affects:

• Site safety
• Workforce competence
• Compliance with scheme rules
• Funding eligibility
• Employer reputation

Poor due diligence can have real consequences.

Following recent impersonation attempts within the sector, it is clear that fraud tactics are evolving, combining cloned branding, look-alike domains and fabricated review credibility to manufacture artificial trust.

Corporate transparency, accreditation verification and digital consistency are far harder to fake than a star rating.

A Practical Verification Checklist

Before booking with any UK training provider, check:

☐ Active status on Companies House
☐ Consistent details on Endole
☐ Accreditation verified directly with awarding bodies
☐ Website and email domains match exactly
☐ Clear VAT registration and invoicing
☐ Visible LinkedIn presence for company and directors
☐ Traceable trading history

If all of those align, you can proceed with far greater confidence.

Due Diligence Is Now Essential

In today’s digital environment, credibility cannot be measured by star ratings alone.

In construction and safety training, the consequences of choosing the wrong provider go far beyond inconvenience. Training affects workforce competence, regulatory compliance, funding eligibility and ultimately site safety.

The rise in fake reviews, cloned websites and impersonation attempts highlights a wider shift. Digital trust can be manufactured quickly, but genuine credibility takes years to build.

Independent verification through corporate records, accreditation checks and professional transparency is no longer optional. It is part of responsible procurement.

Employers, contractors and individual learners should approach training decisions with the same level of scrutiny they would apply to any safety-critical supplier.

In a sector built on standards, accountability and compliance, trust should be earned through transparency and evidence rather than assumed from a five star rating.