While I agree this isn't nice, it doesn't really surprise me. Any time there is money to be made (apps to be sold, here), with something that can be created for free (reviews), an industry emerges to create the 'free' stuff. It's just an economic law.
See also google (putting a price on free links), and linkfarms.
Accusations are layered thick, but proof is not to be found in the article.<p>From experience I can tell you that many comments which look fake are genuine. I was concerned when I found those on competitor's apps but then I had plenty of those myself after getting few hundred reviews myself. In other words you can't just look at a review and say "I feel this review is fake". It doesn't work like that.
My friend has a site where you 'nominate' apps to be featured. It seems the devs with the crappy apps are always trying to game the system.<p>Paying to get good reviews doesn't surprise me, but if you're going to do it you better not publish your user list. Apple will have all of the listed accounts banned in a day or two.