Amazon turns crime fighter to foil Chinese counterfeiters
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Amazon has revealed (opens in new tab) that it has helped law enforcement agencies bring down three major counterfeiting operations in China, thanks to information from the company’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU).
Almost a quarter of a million counterfeit goods have been seized in Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces thanks to Amazon’s cooperation. The imitated brands included BMW, Porsche, General Motors, Hugo Boss, Puma and Under Armour.
None of the aforementioned items have reached Amazon customers, or even had a chance to go through the supply chain, with the company adding that all listings on the site associated with the counterfeiters have since been removed.
Crime Fighting Collaborations
The information provided by the CCU included warehouse locations, which were passed on to local authorities. The main suspects are being investigated by Public Security Bureaus (PSB) in China.
Last year, Amazon found and seized more than three million counterfeit products, including some in its fulfillment centers intended for customer consumption.
In addition to fake goods, Amazon partnered with PSBs to detain 84 individuals who obtained fraudulent identifications and business licenses to create seller accounts on the site. The company also claims that an additional 2.5 million bad actors were prevented from creating merchant accounts.
It has also filed joint lawsuits with well-known brands – including Cartier, WWE and FELCO – whose goods had been illegally copied. In 2021, it charged or referred more than 600 criminals in Europe, China and the US for investigation.
CCU director Kebharu Smith said: “Our efforts to identify and dismantle counterfeit organizations are working”. He added his appreciation for “law enforcement acting on our references and pursuing these matters thoroughly.”
Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of Amazon’s Worldwide Selling Partner Services, added: “While we are proud of the progress we have made, we will not stop until we reduce counterfeits to zero, and we will continue to invest and innovate until we there are. “