Yelp is a popular online review service. As the firm notes at its Web site: “Yelp is the best way to find great local businesses. People use Yelp to search for everything from the city’s tastiest burger to the most renowned cardiologist. What will you uncover in your neighborhood?”

But, Yelp has been faced with several phony reviews posted to improve specific ratings — and it has decided to do something about it. The company wants its review process to be as honest, transparent, and trustworthy as possible.

According to David Streitfelt, writing for the New York Times: “Like every Web site that depends on consumer critiques, Yelp has a problem with companies trying to manipulate their results. So it set up a sting operation to catch them. The first eight businesses — including a moving company, two repair shops, and a concern that organizes treasure hunts — will find themselves exposed on Thursday [October 18]. For the next three months, their Yelp profile pages will feature a ‘consumer alert’ that says: ‘We caught someone red-handed trying to buy reviews for this business.'”

Click the image to read Streitfelt’s full story.