TrustScore is Scam.SG’s proprietary AI-powered trust rating that measures how legitimate, credible, and reliable a business is. It is expressed as a 0–100 score, published publicly on every Scam.SG business profile. The higher the score, the lower the risk when engaging that entity.
How is TrustScore Calculated?
TrustScore is calculated using data signals across business legitimacy, reputation, digital footprint, transparency, and risk indicators. Our AI engine continuously analyses official records, public data, behavioural patterns, and reputation signals. Scores are updated dynamically as new information becomes available.
Why TrustScore Matters to You
TrustScore helps you decide faster and safer — without needing to interpret raw data yourself. For consumers, it reduces scam risk. For businesses, it builds instant credibility and trust. For partners and investors, it serves as a first-layer due diligence signal.
TrustScore is an AI-powered, metacognitive trust evaluation engine designed to assess the legitimacy and credibility of businesses. It analyses publicly available, digital, and behavioural signals to help identify potential risks, scams, and authenticity issues.
TrustScore is measured on a 0–100 scale, where a higher score indicates greater trust and reliability. It provides a single, easy-to-understand metric that reflects a business’s overall credibility across multiple dimensions.
The TrustScore is derived through a multifaceted analysis involving:
Authentication
Verification of legal, digital, and operational identity through cross-analysis of ownership structure, historical activity, and consistency of behavior across independent and trusted data sources.
Business Reputation
Aggregation of feedback and reviews from trusted platforms to gauge public perception and overall business reputation.
Branding
Assessment of brand strength, including consumer perceptions, social media presence, and overall visibility.
Digital Footprint
Evaluation of online presence, such as website quality, social media engagement, and search engine visibility.
For consumers, TrustScore serves as a critical tool to verify the legitimacy of businesses before engaging in transactions. For businesses, it acts as both a credibility badge and a diagnostic system to identify areas for improving trust and transparency. Its adaptability across sectors from e-commerce to financial services and government platforms makes TrustScore a powerful foundation for building safer digital ecosystems at both local and global levels.
How does TrustScore work?
TrustScore is calculated using a broad range of trust and risk indicators across business legitimacy, reputation, digital presence, transparency, and behavioural signals.
Our AI engine continuously analyses official records, publicly available information, and observable behavioural patterns. Scores are dynamically updated as new data becomes available.
Step 1
Step 1
Collection of Initial Data
The TrustScore process begins with comprehensive data collection, where information is gathered from multiple reliable sources. These include user-generated reviews, public records, and digital behaviour patterns. For example, data from Singapore government watchlists can help flag entities with potential fraud indicators. The use of open datasets and transactional data further strengthens this initial evaluation layer by providing broader context and verification signals.
Business Records
Digital Presence
Social Signals
Financial Data
Step 2
Step 2
Feature Engineering
Raw data is first collected, cleaned, and stored in a structured and consistent format. This processed data is then transformed into meaningful features that describe a company from multiple perspectives. Each feature contributes to the final score using optimized weights learned from training data.
Foundational Legitimacy
Verifies the authenticity and credibility of a business, including official registration signals and overall business reputation.
Financial
Assesses financial risk factors and the reliability of payment methods, helping to identify financial instability or potentially suspicious activity.
Operational Reliability
Measures the consistency of business operations and how effectively the company responds to customers and operational issues over time.
Customer Voice / Reputation
Aggregates customer reviews, testimonials, and public feedback to reflect real user experiences and overall public sentiment.
Digital Security
Evaluates cybersecurity practices, data protection measures, and exposure to digital threats.
Ethical & Social Proof
Reviews corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and adherence to best practices, signaling long-term trustworthiness.
Ecosystem / Partnership
Evaluates a company's partnerships, affiliations, accelerator involvement, and media presence to reflect external validation, network strength, and industry credibility.
Note: Companies with longer operating histories and stronger management structures receive higher scores, reflecting greater stability and trustworthiness.
Step 3
Step 3
Learning Optimal Feature Weights
TrustScore is produced by Scam.SG’s proprietary scoring methodology, which analyses a range of trust-related signals and assesses their relevance within a broader credibility framework.
The approach is designed to adapt to changing patterns in business behaviour while maintaining consistency, fairness, and objectivity in how trust is evaluated.
Step 4
Step 4
Calculating the Final Score
After individual feature scores are computed, they are combined with additional statistical indicators and fed into a pre-trained machine learning model. This model, trained on a train dataset, classifies each company into one of the following categories:
Foundational
New or low-trust companies
Evolving
Companies with moderate trust
Established
High-trust, well-established companies
Institutional
Highest level of trust and reliability
Finally, the system generates a calibrated score ranging from 0 to 100, reflecting the company's overall trustworthiness in a standardized, comparable format.
Step 5
Step 5
Applying Adjustments
In the final stage, the system applies adjustments to ensure fair and accurate scoring. The growth and activity of companies are continuously monitored across all dimensions to prevent manipulation, spam, or artificial inflation of scores.
Long-standing companies without social presence
For companies that have been operating for over 10 years but lack a social media presence, a special formula is applied to calculate their score more fairly.
Blacklisted companies
Companies on blacklist databases receive lower scores. This includes the impact of negative news, penalties, or regulatory actions related to the company or its key individuals. Some penalties are temporary, while others are permanent.
Overall, the system is continuously updated and learns from new data, improving its accuracy and adaptability over time.
What's the importance of TrustScore and how does it affect you?
TrustScore serves as a pivotal metric in the digital ecosystem, influencing a broad spectrum of stakeholders beyond just businesses and consumers.
Impact on Consumers
For consumers, TrustScore acts as a reliable indicator of a company's credibility. A high TrustScore suggests that a business is dependable, encouraging consumers to engage in transactions with confidence. Conversely, a low TrustScore may deter potential customers, prompting them to seek alternatives. This dynamic underscores the importance of trust in consumer decision-making processes.
Impact on Businesses
Businesses benefit significantly from maintaining a high TrustScore. It enhances their reputation, attracts new customers, and fosters loyalty among existing ones. A strong TrustScore can lead to increased sales and profitability, as consumers are more likely to purchase from companies they trust. Moreover, businesses with high TrustScores may find it easier to establish partnerships and secure investments, as trust is a critical factor in business relationships.
Impact on Employees
Employees are another group affected by TrustScore. Working for a company with a high TrustScore can instil a sense of pride and job satisfaction, leading to increased productivity and employee retention. On the other hand, a low TrustScore might result in employee disengagement and higher turnover rates, as individuals may prefer to be associated with reputable organisations.
Impact on Investors
Investors closely monitor TrustScores as part of their due diligence. A high TrustScore indicates a company's stability and ethical practices, making it an attractive investment opportunity. In contrast, a low TrustScore can raise red flags, potentially deterring investment and affecting a company's ability to raise capital.
Impact on Regulatory Bodies
Regulatory bodies may also consider TrustScores when assessing compliance and industry standards. A high TrustScore can reflect a company's adherence to regulations, while a low score might indicate potential issues requiring further scrutiny.
In summary, TrustScore is a comprehensive metric that extends its influence beyond businesses and consumers, affecting employees, investors, and regulatory bodies. Its significance lies in its ability to encapsulate trustworthiness, a fundamental element in the success and sustainability of any organisation within the digital landscape.
What is a good TrustScore rating?
TrustScore categorises businesses into distinct stages based on their development, market presence, and operational maturity. These stages help provide context to a business's journey and characteristics:
Stage 1
Foundational Stage
A young brand or company focused on getting started, launching initial products/services, and defining its core identity, mission, and values. Characteristics include building awareness, developing offerings (often still in refinement), operating with limited resources, and working to differentiate itself in the market. These brands represent potential innovation.
Stage 2
Evolving Stage
A brand actively growing and refining its market presence after establishing some traction. Characteristics include a clearer identity though adaptable, expanding market reach, scaling operations, infrastructure, potential new offerings, building customer loyalty, and actively using feedback for improvement. These brands represent growth and adaptability.
Stage 3
Established Stage
A brand with a strong, recognisable presence, often seen as a key player or leader in its market. Characteristics include strong brand recognition, significant loyal customer base, consistent identity, diverse portfolio of offerings, scaled operations, and financial stability. These brands represent trust and excellence with continuous innovation.
Stage 4
Institutional Stage
A brand leveraging its established position to shape industry standards while maintaining relevance. Key characteristics include setting industry benchmarks, often having a global presence and enduring legacy, exhibiting thought leadership, and offering a comprehensive ecosystem of solutions. These brands represent the pinnacle of industry achievement and influence.
How to improve your TrustScore
Enhancing your TrustScore is crucial for building credibility and fostering trust with your audience. Here are key strategies to consider:
Deliver Exceptional Customer Service
Providing outstanding customer service is fundamental. Address customer inquiries promptly, resolve issues efficiently, and ensure a positive overall experience. Satisfied customers are more likely to leave favourable reviews, positively impacting your TrustScore.
Encourage Authentic Customer Reviews
Actively seek feedback from your customers. Encouraging authentic reviews not only enhances your TrustScore but also provides valuable insights into areas for improvement. Ensure that the process for leaving reviews is straightforward and accessible.
Maintain Transparency and Honesty
Be transparent about your products, services, and business practices. Honesty builds trust and encourages positive customer relationships. Clearly communicate policies, pricing, and any other pertinent information to avoid misunderstandings.
Ensure Compliance with Industry Standards
Adhere to industry regulations and standards relevant to your business. Compliance demonstrates professionalism and commitment to quality, which can enhance your TrustScore. Regularly review and update your practices to remain in line with current standards.
Engage with Customer Feedback
Respond to customer reviews, both positive and negative. Engaging with feedback shows that you value your customers' opinions and are committed to continuous improvement. Addressing negative reviews constructively can mitigate potential damage to your TrustScore.
Implement Robust Security Measures
Protecting customer data is crucial. Implement robust security measures to safeguard personal information. A strong security posture builds trust and can positively influence your TrustScore.
Monitor and Analyse Performance Metrics
Regularly monitor your TrustScore and related performance metrics. Analysing these metrics helps identify trends and areas needing attention. Utilise this data to inform strategic decisions aimed at improving customer satisfaction and trust.
Integrating TrustScore into Your Website
Incorporating your TrustScore into your website can enhance transparency and build trust with visitors. Our subscription plan offers TrustScore widgets, that can be embedded into your website to display your TrustScore, key business profile information, and website details. These widgets are designed to be easily customisable, allowing you to adjust font styles, colours, and backgrounds to match your site's aesthetic. By prominently featuring your trust metrics, you can enhance credibility and encourage customer engagement.
Elevate Your TrustScore with Our Business Plan
Ready to take your TrustScore to the next level?
Our tailored business plans offer personalised strategies designed to boost your TrustScore, fostering trust and driving growth. Invest in your reputation today and experience the transformative impact of a higher TrustScore.
Understanding TrustScore is essential for businesses aiming to build and maintain trust with their customers. However, several misconceptions about TrustScore can lead to misunderstandings and mismanagement. Let's address some of these common myths:
Myth 1: TrustScore Is Static
Some believe that once established, a TrustScore remains constant. In reality, TrustScore is dynamic and reflects real-time customer feedback and interactions. Continuous engagement and quality service are necessary to maintain or improve it.
Myth 2: Only Positive Reviews Matter
While positive reviews contribute to a higher TrustScore, negative reviews also play a role. They provide opportunities to address concerns and demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Handling negative feedback constructively can positively influence your TrustScore.
Myth 3: TrustScore Is Solely Based on Review Quantity
It is a misconception that accumulating a large number of reviews will automatically result in a high TrustScore. The quality, recency, and authenticity of reviews are equally important factors in determining your TrustScore.
Myth 4: TrustScore Only Affects Online Businesses
TrustScore impacts both online and offline businesses. Consumers increasingly rely on online reviews and ratings to make informed decisions, regardless of whether a business operates online or has a physical presence. Scam.SG utilises extensive datasets encompassing data from both online and offline sources to assess a business entity's reliability. We collaborate with verified open data sources and partners to acquire comprehensive information, ensuring that our evaluations reflect the true nature of a business, regardless of its operational domain.
Myth 5: TrustScore Doesn't Influence Revenue
A higher TrustScore can lead to increased customer trust, which often translates to higher sales revenue. Conversely, a low TrustScore can deter potential customers, negatively affecting a business's financial performance.
Myth 6: Once Negative Reviews Are Addressed, TrustScore Will Immediately Improve
Addressing negative reviews is crucial, but improvements in TrustScore may take time. Consistent positive interactions and sustained customer satisfaction are key to gradually enhancing your TrustScore.
Myth 7: TrustScore Is Not Important in Niche Markets
Regardless of the market size, TrustScore plays a significant role in influencing customer perceptions and decisions. In niche markets, where communities are often tight-knit, a good TrustScore can be particularly impactful.
Myth 8: Businesses Have No Control Over Their TrustScore
While customers provide the reviews that contribute to your TrustScore, businesses have control over the quality of products, services, and customer interactions they offer. By focusing on delivering exceptional experiences, businesses can positively influence their TrustScore.
By debunking these myths, businesses can better understand the importance of TrustScore and take proactive steps to manage and improve it, ultimately leading to enhanced customer trust and business success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Scam.SG's TrustScore is essential for businesses and consumers aiming to assess and enhance business authenticity in Singapore. Here are the frequently asked questions about TrustScore, each with detailed explanations to provide clarity:
Scam.SG's TrustScore is uniquely tailored to assess the authenticity of Singapore-based businesses & other entities. Unlike generic trust metrics, it incorporates localised data sources, considers regional scam patterns, and evaluates factors specific to the Singaporean market, providing a more accurate reflection of a business's trustworthiness within this context. Additionally, we employ proprietary algorithms that analyse various aspects such as business registration details, customer feedback, and online presence, providing a comprehensive evaluation tailored to the local context.
Yes, Scam.SG offers free access to view a business's TrustScore. Users can search for any registered Singaporean business on the platform to assess its authenticity and make informed decisions before engaging in transactions. This open access empowers consumers to make informed decisions and promotes transparency in the marketplace. By providing this service at no cost, Scam.SG aims to enhance consumer protection and trust in business dealings within Singapore.
A business's TrustScore is updated regularly to reflect the most current data. The frequency of updates depends on data availability and the occurrence of significant events affecting the business's authenticity. Scam.SG continuously monitors various data sources to ensure that any changes in a business's status are promptly reflected in its TrustScore, providing users with up-to-date information for their decision-making processes.
If you encounter a TrustScore that seems inaccurate, you can report inaccuracies to Scam.SG for review. The platform encourages users to provide detailed information and any supporting evidence to facilitate a thorough reassessment of the business's authenticity. Scam.SG's team will investigate the submitted information and, if necessary, adjust the TrustScore to ensure accuracy. This collaborative approach helps maintain the reliability of the TrustScore system.
Yes, user reviews and reports are integral components of the TrustScore calculation. Scam.SG aggregates feedback from consumers to assess a business's reputation, which directly impacts its TrustScore. This crowdsourced information helps maintain transparency and accuracy, as real customer experiences provide valuable insights into a business's operations and trustworthiness.
Absolutely! Businesses can enhance their TrustScore by maintaining transparent operations, engaging positively with customers, resolving disputes promptly, and adhering to ethical business practices. Scam.SG also offers services like TrustScore Optimisation to assist businesses in this endeavour. By focusing on these areas, businesses can build a stronger reputation and, consequently, achieve a higher TrustScore, reflecting their commitment to authenticity and customer satisfaction.
While the specific algorithms are proprietary, Scam.SG offers businesses insights into the factors influencing their TrustScore. This transparency allows businesses to understand areas for improvement and take actionable steps to enhance their authenticity. By providing guidance on the key components affecting the TrustScore, Scam.SG enables businesses to make informed decisions to bolster their credibility.
While the TrustScore provides a comprehensive assessment of a business's authenticity, it is based on available data and may not account for recent changes or undisclosed information. Users are advised to consider the TrustScore as one of several factors in their decision-making process. It's important to conduct additional research and due diligence when engaging with a business, using the TrustScore as a valuable reference point among other considerations.
Scam.SG has a structured dispute resolution process. Businesses can contact the platform to contest their TrustScore, providing relevant evidence or documentation. The Scam.SG team will review the submission and make adjustments if warranted. This process ensures that businesses have the opportunity to address any inaccuracies and that the TrustScore remains a fair and accurate reflection of a business's authenticity.
Yes, our TrustScore AI Engine is designed to evaluate a wide range of business entities in Singapore, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations, across various industries. This inclusivity ensures that consumers have access to authenticity assessments for diverse business types, aiding in informed decision-making across the board.
Scam.SG employs advanced algorithms and cross-references multiple verified data sources to ensure the accuracy of its TrustScore assessments. By analyzing a combination of official records, user feedback, and online presence, the platform provides a reliable measure of a business's authenticity. Continuous monitoring and updates further enhance the precision of the TrustScore.
Yes, a business's TrustScore can decrease if negative information emerges, such as unresolved customer complaints, involvement in fraudulent activities, or a decline in business transparency. Scam.SG's system is dynamic, reflecting both positive and negative changes in a business's operations and reputation. This responsiveness ensures that the TrustScore remains an accurate indicator of current authenticity.
Yes, Scam.SG provides support services to businesses seeking to improve their TrustScore. Through offerings like TrustScore Optimisation, businesses receive guidance on best practices, strategies for enhancing customer engagement, methods to increase transparency, and other key areas for improvement. This support helps businesses build trust with consumers and improve their overall standing on the platform.
Scam.SG is committed to user privacy and employs robust security measures to protect user data. Users can be assured that their personal information is safeguarded through encryption and compliance with data protection regulations. The platform prioritises user confidentiality while providing valuable business authenticity information. Notably, Scam.SG allows users to access publicly available business profile data, including TrustScores, without the need for authentication or login. This open-access approach ensures that users can conveniently obtain essential information about businesses without compromising their privacy or undergoing unnecessary procedures. By eliminating the requirement for authentication, Scam.SG streamlines the process of accessing business TrustScores, making it more user-friendly and efficient. This commitment to both accessibility and security reflects Scam.SG's dedication to empowering consumers with reliable information while maintaining the highest standards of data protection. Users can confidently utilise the platform, knowing that their interactions are secure and their personal data remains confidential.
While Scam.SG's TrustScore is tailored for Singaporean businesses, international users can benefit by assessing the authenticity of businesses they plan to engage with in Singapore. This is particularly useful for international investors, partners, or consumers looking to establish relationships with Singapore-based entities. The TrustScore provides valuable insights into a business's legitimacy, aiding in cross-border decision-making.
TrustScore categorises businesses into four stages reflecting their maturity and market position: Foundational (early-stage, defining identity), Evolving (growing, scaling, refining), Established (strong recognition, market leader), and Institutional (industry standard-setter, global presence). Each stage highlights different characteristics and focus areas.
Ready to enhance your TrustScore? Explore our business plans and discover the personalised solutions we offer to elevate your business's reputation.
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