You’ve probably been there. You find something that looks perfect on Amazon. It has a great price with plenty of 5-star reviews. Then, it arrives and you realize that it is not even close to what you expected.
Amazon says it’s trying to fix that problem at scale. According to its latest Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report, the company removed 15 million fake products and blocked hundreds of millions of fake reviews last year using AI.
As it turns out, it is not just a case of a few fake listings here and there. There are entire networks built around fake reviews, knockoff products, and scam websites.
Amazon even says it shut down over 100 websites that were literally created just to push fake reviews.
The AI arms race: Amazon vs. the scammers
This isn’t just people manually checking listings anymore. Amazon is using AI to scan for patterns, like strange review behavior, sketchy seller activity, and anything that looks off.
From coordinated review bursts to sketchy seller accounts appearing overnight, these automated systems are now intercepting fraud before it even reaches your feed.
The interesting part is that AI is being utilized on both sides to achieve different goals. Just as Amazon is using AI to detect patterns, catch inconsistencies, and shut anything that feels off down, scammers are also using it to write realistic reviews, build convincing listings, and make fake stuff look real.
Why Amazon is going this hard
It is a no-brainer. If people stop trusting what they see, the whole thing falls apart. There is no world where reviews feel fake, products are risky, and sellers feel sketchy, and people keep buying from Amazon.
However, even experts see that this crackdown is just a small piece of the problem. There’s so much fraud out there that even removing millions of listings doesn’t fully fix it.
That’s how big it has gotten. So, customers still have to be a bit careful. Don’t trust ratings blindly and always ensure you look at reviews closely. If possible, stick to sellers you recognize. And when it comes to super cheap deals, be super cautious.
Source: CTV News