Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) is a global team dedicated to partnering with law enforcement, brands, and other stakeholders to disrupt counterfeiters and their networks. Stay tuned to this page for the latest news and updates about the CCU’s efforts.
CCU Targets Fake Document Schemes to Evade Amazon Controls
Amazon’s CCU has filed six lawsuits against individuals involved in illicit schemes designed to bypass Amazon’s product approval processes, including the submission of fake product invoices to sell counterfeit goods. These new lawsuits highlight a different category of bad actors engaging in emerging and evasive fraudulent activities.
“These illegal online services attempted to submit fraudulent documents to Amazon to sell counterfeit or infringing products,” said Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon’s CCU. “Our relentless pursuit of counterfeiters across the retail industry now extends to dismantling new forms of fraud, holding bad actors accountable wherever they operate.”
The defendants in these lawsuits claimed to handle the entire product approval process for fees, gaining access to seller accounts and submitting fraudulent documents to Amazon to bypass vetting requirements. Amazon’s rigorous vetting processes identified the falsified documents, leading to these legal actions. An outside investigator, posing as an interested party, confirmed the defendants’ schemes by obtaining fraudulent documents.
Amazon uses advanced machine learning, robust vetting, and expert human investigators to protect customers and selling partners, and deter bad actors. Attempts to create new selling accounts dropped from 6 million in 2020 to 700,000 in 2023, preventing these bad actors from listing any products.
Amazon continuously monitors seller accounts for new risks and innovates to stay ahead of fraudulent activities. In partnership with brands and law enforcement, Amazon’s CCU has removed more than 7 million counterfeit products worldwide in 2023 and pursued over 21,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals since its founding.
The lawsuits were filed in the federal U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington under case numbers:
- 2:21-cv-01283-KKE
- 23-cv-01062-KKE
- 23-cv-01061-TL-BAT
- 22-cv-01755-RSM
- 2:24-cv-00825
- 2:24-cv-00824