Introducing the Black Flag: A Clear Warning for Confirmed Fraud

Trust Duck is adding a new warning level to the platform: the black flag.

Some businesses aren't just unverified or low-scoring — they're investigated and confirmed to be non-incorporated, fake, or outright fraudulent. For those, a low score isn't enough of a signal. The black flag exists to say clearly: doing business with this entity is a bad idea.

What triggers it. A black flag is applied only after investigation confirms one of the following:
- The business entity is not actually incorporated or legally registered as claimed
- The listing is fabricated or impersonating a business that does not operate as described
- The business has engaged in confirmed fraudulent or scam activity

What it looks like. A flagged profile shows a black banner with a clear warning, visible regardless of the business's claim status or score.

What it is not. A black flag is not issued for a business simply having a low score, unverified signals, or an ongoing dispute — those already show up honestly through the normal scoring system. It requires a documented, investigated basis, not an unverified complaint.

We built Trust Duck to make it structurally easier to spot legitimate businesses than fraudulent ones. The black flag is the clearest version of that: when we have real, confirmed evidence a business is not what it claims to be, you will see it immediately.