Amazon Establishes Global Counterfeit Crimes Unit

Amazon is launching a new Counterfeit Crimes Unit, dedicated to bringing counterfeiters attempting to list counterfeit products in its store to justice, the company said in a blog post.

The global team will utilize former federal prosecutors, experienced investigators, and data analysts who will support the company’s efforts already underway to protect its store from counterfeits.

Amazon said its primary focus continues to be on preventing a counterfeit from ever being listed in its store. In 2019, Amazon claimed it invested over $500 million and had more than 8,000 employees fighting fraud and abuse, including counterfeit.

The company further said its efforts had blocked over 2.5 million suspected bad actor accounts before they were able to make a single product available for sale and blocked over 6 billion suspected bad listings in 2019.

However, Amazon believes it’s critical that the company, brands, and law enforcement also go on the offensive and hold counterfeiters accountable for their crimes.

“Every counterfeiter is on notice that they will be held accountable to the maximum extent possible under the law, regardless of where they attempt to sell their counterfeits or where they’re located. We are working hard to disrupt and dismantle these criminal networks, and we applaud the law enforcement authorities who are already part of this fight,” said Dharmesh Mehta, Vice President, Customer Trust and Partner Support at Amazon.

Amazon Will Use Civil Litigation Against Suspected Criminals

In the blog post, Amazon explained the Counterfeit Crimes Unit would enable it to pursue civil litigation against suspected criminals more effectively, work with brands in joint or independent investigations, and aid law enforcement officials worldwide in criminal actions against counterfeiters.

Amazon reiterated that it welcomes the partnership of brands and law enforcement in the shared objective of stopping counterfeiters and holding them accountable.

The company recently joined a lawsuit with fashion brand Valentino in violation of Amazon’s policies and Valentino’s intellectual property rights.