In February 2023, Amazon filed lawsuits against six defendants in new legal efforts to protect its customers and selling partners by stopping fake review brokers. In each lawsuit outlined below, the defendants sell fake review services to bad actors attempting to operate Amazon selling accounts. These fraudsters commit fraud by selling fake reviews, intentionally facilitate activities intended to deceive customers, and attempt to provide unfair competitive advantages over honest sellers in Amazon’s store.
Amazon’s advanced technology and expert investigators stop the vast majority of attempts to publish fake or abusive reviews before they impact customers and honest selling partners. As a result, more than 99% of the products viewed in the store contain only authentic reviews. These lawsuits complement Amazon’s efforts to prevent fake reviews by ensuring that the fraudsters behind them are held accountable and stopped for good:
  • Amazon v. Amazon Feedback: Amazon Feedback is an Estonia-based website owned and operated by two individuals claiming to have 5,000 reviewers available to provide fake positive reviews for $5 each. Case No. 23-2-03320-5 SEA
  • Amazon v. AMZ Trusted Review: The owners and operators of AMZ Trusted Review claim to pay more than 2,500 reviewers to post fake reviews in Amazon’s store in the U.S. and more than 2,000 additional reviewers to post fake reviews in Amazon’s stores in the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, and India. In addition to sending unsolicited emails to Amazon sellers advertising their services, the defendants also suggest prohibited practices that attempt to game Amazon’s systems. Case No. 23-2-03317-5 SEA
  • Amazon v. Blue Marple: The website, Blue Marple, offers fake positive reviews in packages ranging from $135 for three reviews to $900 for 20 reviews. Case No. 23-2-03325-6 SEA
  • Amazon v. Woorke: Owned by a UK private limited company, Woorke sells fake positive reviews for $99-$110 per review plus reimbursement for the cost of the product purchased. The defendants claim they “can provide reviews from almost all countries.” In addition, the defendants sell fake negative reviews that they post on competitors’ products. Case No. 23-2-03323-0 SEA
“We want Amazon customers to shop with confidence, knowing that the reviews they see are authentic and trustworthy,” said David Montague, Amazon’s vice president of Selling Partner Risk. “By taking legal action against these fraudsters, Amazon is targeting the source of the problem and sending a clear message that we will hold bad actors, including fake review brokers, accountable.”
Amazon was a pioneer of product reviews, having introduced them in 1995 to help customers make more informed shopping decisions. The company aims to ensure every review that appears in its stores is trustworthy and reflects an actual customer experience. Amazon strictly prohibits fake reviews and has more than 12,000 employees around the world dedicated to protecting its stores from fraud and abuse. Amazon’s expert investigators use industry-leading tools to detect and block fake reviews. These legal actions represent a continuation of Amazon’s efforts to protect its customers and selling partners, as well as hold bad actors accountable—in 2022, Amazon took legal action against over 90 bad actors, who facilitated and solicited fake reviews.
Learn more about Amazon’s previous actions: