According to Amazon, the brokers behind these domains orchestrated fake review schemes that threatened the credibility of its marketplace and defrauded millions of customers. In the court ruling, Amazon was granted control over the domains, effectively dismantling their operations. This marks the company’s largest-ever seizure of websites tied to review manipulation.
“This ruling represents a significant milestone in our global effort to shut down fake review schemes at their source,” said Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon’s VP of Worldwide Selling Partner Services. “We won’t stop until bad actors can no longer deceive customers and sellers through these fraudulent networks.”
This victory builds on Amazon’s long-standing legal strategy to root out review manipulation. Since 2015, the company has filed numerous lawsuits against individuals and groups responsible for paid and deceptive reviews. In July 2024, Amazon joined forces with the Better Business Bureau to file a joint lawsuit targeting a fake review brokerage network based in North America.
Globally, the momentum is building. In June 2025, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) secured legally binding commitments from Amazon to enhance its monitoring systems and suspend sellers involved in review manipulation. The UK watchdog has been investigating major online platforms under new consumer protection powers aimed at curbing digital deception.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has introduced a new rule banning the buying and selling of fake consumer reviews, with fines reaching up to $51,744 per violation. This regulatory backdrop provides Amazon with legal leverage and enforcement tools to pursue bad actors across jurisdictions.
Amazon also reaffirmed its commitment to improving the customer review system by investing in machine learning algorithms and dedicated global teams that detect suspicious behavior. In 2024 alone, the company reported blocking over 250 million suspected fake reviews before they were ever published.
The court-ordered seizure of the 75 domains is a major step forward—but Amazon emphasized that the fight is far from over. The company is actively collaborating with regulators, law enforcement, and other online platforms to create a more trustworthy digital ecosystem for shoppers and sellers.
