Amazon Forms Counterfeit Crimes Unit To Go After Bogus Sellers

It isn't exactly a secret that Amazon has a problem with counterfeit products, and while the company has been successful in stopping some counterfeit items from ever being listed, it's forming a new task force for the times those products make it onto Amazon's store anyway. Officially called the Counterfeit Crimes Unit, this new task force seems less concerned with preventing counterfeit items from being listed and more with bringing those counterfeiters to justice.

In an announcement, Amazon says that its existing anti-counterfeiting programs have done well so far, with the company noting that "99.9% of all Amazon products viewed by customers did not have a valid counterfeit complaint." What's more, the company says that in 2019, it "blocked over 6 billion suspected bad listings" and "blocked over 2.5 million suspected bad actor accounts before they were able to make a single product available for sale."

That sounds pretty good, but there will always be those who slip through the cracks, and that is where the Counterfeit Crimes Unit enters the picture. Amazon says that in instances where unsavory sellers have managed to evade the comapny's detection and actually list a counterfeit product, the Counterfeit Crimes Unit will investigate the issue.

This includes looking at Amazon's internal data, requesting data from payment providers, and using "on-the-ground assets" to attempt to discover the identity of the counterfeiter in question. The Counterfeit Crimes Unit will work with law enforcement and brands to track down counterfeiters around the world.

Essentially, this new unit within Amazon will allow it to better "hold counterfeiters accountable through financial penalties, civil litigation, and criminal prosecution." We'll see just how effective it is, but it's clear that the company is attempting to send a strong message to would-be counterfeiters with the formation of this new unit.