Can you trust online reviews?

In today's New York Times, there is a front page article about manipulating the product rating system at Amazon.com.

Since I've converted to mostly online shopping because I like peer product reviews to affirm my purchase decisions, I find this news about Amazon’s rigged ratings to be most troubling.

While the article only covered one particular product, how do we know this isn't wide spread?

And even though Amazon immediately stopped this particular technique of offering rebates for positive reviews, how do we know there aren't other techniques that are presently manipulating reviews, techniques that have yet to be uncovered?

I believe Amazon now has a problem because one of the reasons I personally shop at an internet store over a brick and mortar store is the comfort of independent reviews, which guide and confirm my purchase, but now I can't look at online reviews without wondering if they’re corrupt.

What can Amazon do to restore my confidence?

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/technology/for-2-a-star-a-retailer-gets-5-star-reviews.html?_r=1&hpw