Amazon is targeting fake orders!

Amazon has always adopted a zero-tolerance attitude towards fake orders , but there are still sellers who take the risk of breaking the law .

In order to crack down on illegal activities such as false reviews and fake orders for positive reviews, Amazon has set its sights on fake order companies .

Amazon sues fake order company again!

Recently, Amazon announced that it had filed lawsuits against two companies that fake orders, namely PMNL Web and ProAmazon Service.

Amazon said that PMNLWeb used social media platforms to recruit users who wanted to participate in fake reviews and asked them to leave fake five-star reviews on sellers' product pages. These reviewers were directed by PMNLWeb to its own website, where they browsed and selected the products to buy. At the same time, PMNLWeb also guided these reviewers on how to search for products and purchase them on the Amazon platform. PMNLWeb provided these reviewers with keywords to search for products, all in order to make the entire purchase process appear more authentic.

It is understood that PMNLWeb's business covers multiple Amazon sites, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Another fake order company, ProAmazonService, was accused by Amazon of selling Amazon customer-verified reviews and other fake reviews to sellers. At the same time, the fake order company also allowed sellers to provide the content of the reviews themselves, charging sellers at least $7.99.

In addition to fake orders, ProAmazon Service also provides sellers with services to delete negative reviews and improve review rankings.

It is understood that ProAmazonService's business also covers Amazon sites around the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and Mexico.

Amazon said that the emergence of the fake review industry has led to an increasing number of fake reviews on the Amazon platform. These fake review companies use websites, social media platforms and encrypted messaging services to induce platform users to participate in fake reviews in order to earn fake review fees, free products or other rewards. The actions of these fake review companies are illegal. They try to deceive Amazon platform consumers through fake reviews and harm Amazon's sales partners.

David Montague, vice president of Amazon's sales partner risk department, believes that consumers often make final purchase decisions based on product reviews when shopping on the Amazon platform. These fake order companies deliberately deceive consumers and damage the legitimate rights and interests of Amazon's partners. Amazon will definitely hold them accountable.

Because Amazon has always adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards false reviews and illegal activities, Amazon will continue to track down these fake order companies to create a better and more trustworthy shopping environment for consumers.

Amazon has sued fake order companies many times! Various countries have introduced relevant laws and regulations

The practice of false orders on the Amazon platform has continued despite repeated bans, and this is not the first time Amazon has sued a false order company.

In 2022, Amazon filed lawsuits in Italy and Spain against fake reviews on its platform. It is reported that this is the first criminal charge against Amazon in Europe.

It is reported that in 2022, Amazon has blocked more than 200 million suspected false reviews.

In February of this year, Amazon filed a lawsuit against six fake order companies because they provided false positive reviews to third-party sellers to improve product rankings and conversion rates.

On April 13 this year , Amazon filed a civil lawsuit in China against five companies and related individuals suspected of creating "fake reviews" .

It is understood that these fake order companies are suspected of inducing consumers to submit false positive reviews on the Amazon platform. At the same time, they also submit review-free orders in the form of fake transactions or by manipulating buyers' accounts . They are also suspected of manipulating keyword rankings and maliciously improving the ranking of product search results .

On July 2, another four fake order companies were "notified" by Amazon globally: Reddit Marketing Pro , Mango City , Littlesmm and Nice Discount . Amazon accused these fake order companies of misleading Amazon customers and harming Amazon sales partners by providing false reviews.

As of the end of July 2023, Amazon has taken legal action against 120 fake order companies in the United States, Europe and China.

As far as the current market situation is concerned, fake order evaluation has invisibly formed an "industrial chain".

There are generally the following ways to fake orders on Amazon: FBA fake orders, self-delivery fake orders, finding buyers on your own, and third-party fake order service platforms.

Many sellers will choose to take risks in order to increase store traffic, but the consequences are also very serious.

Because this behavior of brushing positive reviews seriously violates the rules of Amazon's search rankings and has been severely cracked down by Amazon , it can have a direct impact on your store if you are not careful .

Regulatory agencies in various countries are also ruthless towards the practice of posting fake reviews , and many countries have already introduced relevant laws and regulations.

On June 30, 2023, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it would revise Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations and add Part 465: Trade Control Rules Regarding the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials .

The new rules prohibit sellers from purchasing positive or negative reviews , and prohibit sellers from harassing or threatening consumers to eliminate negative reviews . It also prohibits the operation of websites or organizations that explicitly or implicitly promote products and services , and prohibits fake or false consumer reviews, consumer testimonials, or celebrity testimonials. These behaviors seriously deceive consumers and seriously disrupt the market order.

In order to combat unfair practices in the market and promote competition in the digital market, the United Kingdom issued the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act ( DMCC ) on April 25, 2023 .

It is understood that the CMA has taken enforcement action to combat illegal practices including fake reviews and subscription traps .

The new rules in the UK bill will make the CMA 's enforcement more effective. This will help protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers while protecting fair trading companies from adverse effects. The bill also allows the CMA to impose fines of up to 10% of its global turnover on companies that violate the law .

As early as November 2021, Spain's "False Reviews Control Act" officially came into effect. According to relevant regulations, Spanish e-commerce companies are obliged to ensure the rationality and authenticity of reviews of their products and services. Companies that violate this regulation will be fined up to 1 million euros.

Many sellers at home and abroad choose to improve the ranking of their products on Amazon by fake orders, but this behavior is very dangerous. If you are not careful, your account will be frozen and your store will be blocked. The fake order agency will also face penalties such as imprisonment of the actual person in charge and confiscation of property!

For sellers, they must always be vigilant and operate in compliance during daily operations .

Currently, Amazon has put AI tools into use to detect and identify fake reviews, and has achieved initial results. In the past year , Amazon has detected and blocked more than 200 million fake reviews through AI tools.

Therefore, the editor hereby reminds all sellers not to take risks and to stay away from false orders!

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