What is the ruling on working for a website that aims to improve the quality of consumer goods and raise their ratings in exchange for financial gain, knowing that the initial capital came from another employee at the same site without compensation?

Firstly, purchasing goods to inflate their ratings and visibility, with a refund of the price and a profit, is a forbidden act based on deception and fraud. It falls under the meaning of najash (artificial bidding) which is prohibited by the Prophet ﷺ's saying: "A man should not bid against the bidding of his brother, and do not engage in najash, and a city dweller should not sell for a Bedouin." It is also considered a form of deception, for which the Prophet ﷺ warned the perpetrator by saying: "Whoever cheats is not from me," and cunning and deception lead to the Hellfire. Therefore, one must stop engaging in it and repent to Allah.

Secondly, money earned from this act, while unaware of its prohibition, is permissible to benefit from, according to the Almighty's saying: "So whoever receives an admonition from his Lord and desists, he may have what has already passed."

Thirdly, if you participate with money to enter into this marketing scheme, this is another aspect of prohibition, as it is a form of gambling (qimar and maysir). Thus, paying money to participate in this marketing is forbidden.