Amazon blocked 10 billion phony listings last year as part of its anti-counterfeit drive

In a massive crackdown, e-commerce giant Amazon blocked more than 10 billion suspected phony listings last year before any of their offerings could be sold. Releasing its first ‘Brand Protection Report’, the e-retail giant outlined how it ensures customers shop from authentic products in its store and also detailed how it protects millions of small and medium-sized businesses that offer authentic products for sale in our store.

The e-retail giant said the number of counterfeiters attempting to sell on the site rose as scammers tried to take advantage of shoppers who were buying more online during the pandemic.

According to the reort, the company has employed more than 10,000 people to protect its store from fraud and abuse. Amazon seized more than 2 million counterfeit products before being sent to a customer and destroyed them so they were not resold elsewhere in the retail supply chain. Amazon Transparency enabled the protection of more than 500 million product units. Moreover, it has established its Counterfeit Crimes Unit to build and refer cases to law enforcement, undertake independent investigations or joint investigations with brands, and pursue civil litigation against counterfeiters.

“Our team’s relentless innovation has helped us stop 6 million attempts to create a selling account and more than 10 billion suspect listings as we continue to drive counterfeits to zero.” Vice President, Customer Trust and Partner Support Dharmesh Mehta, was quoted as saying by Business Wire.

Underlining the retail giant’s role in propelling small and medium businesses in pandemic, Mehta said, “Amazon was an important partner for the 1.9 million small and medium businesses that sell in our store during the pandemic. We’ve helped our selling partners keep their virtual doors open, and despite increased attempts by bad actors, continued to ensure that the vast majority of customers shop with confidence from our broad selection of authentic product.”

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Amazon has been battling with counterfeits for years. Since 2019, it has warned investors in government filings that the sale of phony goods poses a risk to the company and its image.