TLDR
- Amazon invested over $1 billion in 2024 to combat counterfeit goods using AI and expanded enforcement.
- Multimodal AI models blocked more than 99% of suspected fake listings before brands had to act.
- Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has taken action against over 24,000 bad actors since 2020.
Amazon said it invested more than $1 billion in 2024 to combat counterfeits, expanding its use of AI and deepening its partnerships with law enforcement and brands to fight e-commerce fraud.
According to its recently released Brand Protection Report, Amazon said it used AI to automate and scale its ability to spot counterfeit goods before they are listed on the e-commerce site.
These controls blocked more than 99% of suspected fakes from being listed in the first place, reducing the need for brands to flag them, the company said. Since 2020, Amazon said it has had 35% fewer flags for counterfeits.
Amazon said this tool monitors activities in various selling stages: from creating a seller’s account to adding or updating an existing listing. Amazon also verifies a seller’s ID using a document forgery detection tool and others; it looks at behavioral cues and links to known bad actors as well.
Using multimodal AI models
Machine learning tools scan attempted listings of products – keywords, text and logos that might signal counterfeits or infringement cases. AI learns from this data to get even better at spotting fakes.
The company is using multimodal AI models to spot violations holistically, instead of looking at individual signals of potential violations, like suspicious text, visuals and pricing patterns.
The multimodal approach makes monitoring more “comprehensive” because Amazon can look at the whole picture all at once, letting it detect even “subtle” manipulations designed to beat detection, the company said.
On the flip side, Amazon’s ‘Transparency’ tool lets brands verify to buyers that their goods are genuine. Launched in 2024, Amazon reports that the tool has verified 2.5 billion products from 88,000 companies of all sizes.
“We remain committed to driving counterfeits to zero and will continue investing in technology, strengthening partnerships, and innovating,” said Chetan Krishnaswamy, vice president of public policy at Amazon, in a LinkedIn post.
Expanded enforcement, tighter controls
Amazon’s efforts go beyond removing listings or blocking sellers. It is also working with law enforcement to prosecute them. Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU), which includes former law enforcement officers, works with authorities and brands to sue and prosecute counterfeiters.
Since launching in 2020, the CCU has sued or referred to law enforcement more than 24,000 suspected bad actors. In 2024 alone, Amazon said it seized and disposed of more than 15 million counterfeit items globally.
One 2024 operation, conducted in collaboration with networking giant Cisco, led to the dismantling of an international counterfeit ring, the arrest and sentencing of the criminal, and forfeiture of $100 million in illegal sales.
But Amazon’s efforts extend beyond enforcement. The company also invests in consumer education, aiming to raise awareness about the risks of counterfeit goods.
In 2024, Amazon partnered with the International Trademark Association to sponsor a global public service campaign involving student-produced videos warning against counterfeits. The winning entries were showcased at the International Career Development Conference.
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