Amazon Sues to Thwart Fake Reviews Operators From Helping 'Bad Actors'
Despite Amazon’s efforts to combat fake reviews, those reviews persist through schemes like those of ProAmazonService that offer free products in exchange for five-star reviews, said Amazon's Aug. 10 lawsuit (docket 23-2-14891-6) in Washington Superior Court in King County.
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ProAmazonService sells fake reviews and other fake content to bad actors operating Amazon selling accounts, said the complaint, which names ADI Infosys, its owner, Mohammad Tahasymul Bari of Bangladesh, and “Does 1-5” as defendants. Does 1-5 are responsible, along with the other defendants, for operation of the ProAmazonService.com website and will be named in an amended complaint when their true names and capacities are determined, the complaint said.
Bad actors who pay for product reviews erode Amazon’s customer trust, “compete unfairly with the millions of entrepreneurs who sell in Amazon’s stores, and tarnish Amazon’s brand,” said the complaint. Incentivized reviews aren’t marked and are “inherently false and misleading because they are motivated by compensation, withhold that key information from customers, and therefore are likely to mislead customers into believing they are from unbiased and independent customers,” it said.
On information and belief, the defendants are “fully aware” they're facilitating services that are unfair to Amazon, its selling partners and its customers, said the complaint. They sell fake “Amazon Customer Verified Review[s]” to bad actors operating Amazon selling accounts, it alleged. Defendants claim on their website they can help bad actors dominate the marketplace by getting more reviews for their products and they will enable “bad actors'” product listings to appear “organically on top of Amazon search results.” Defendants advertise their service as a “smarter” way to get verified reviews and promise their service will double or triple sellers' sales and profit, it said.
The defendants know their business of selling fake reviews and other fake content “will improperly manipulate the published ratings and rankings of products listed for sale in Amazon’s stores, resulting in the deception of Amazon’s customers and the erosion of customer trust in Amazon’s stores,” said the complaint. They understand they're incentivizing product reviewers and bad actors operating Amazon selling accounts “to violate their contracts with Amazon,” it said.
Defendants “intentionally mislead and harm Amazon, its customers, and its selling partners,” said the complaint. Amazon is suing to protect its customers and selling partners from their misconduct by stopping them and shutting down their fake review scheme. Amazon claims violation of the Consumer Protection Act, breach of contract, intentional interference with contractual relations and unjust enrichment.
Amazon seeks a cease and desist order to stop defendants from posting fake reviews and other fake content; an order requiring defendants to provide information to identify each fake product review and other fake content created on Amazon in exchange for payment or other incentives; and an order that defendants disable, transfer to Amazon and cease hosting the ProAmazonService.com domain and any other domains and websites they engage with on Amazon.com. They seek orders requiring defendants to disgorge their profits and hold in trust for Amazon their illegal profits gained from fake reviews; to pay general, special, actual and statutory damages; and to pay legal costs and attorneys’ fees.