Amazon deleted 200 million fake reviews in 2020

Shortly after we reported that Amazon has kicked another Chinese brand off of its platform, the Seattle-based company has now released further data that reveals the incredible amount of fake reviews that are posted on Amazon. In 2020, the online retailer reportedly deleted 200 million bogus reviews, a number that relates to all of Amazon's websites around the world and shows how widespread the issue is.

In some countries like Germany, the e-commerce juggernaut has initiated 30 lawsuits against the shady companies that are behind most of the deceitful reviews. Those agencies often promise to refund the entire price of a product should the customer leave a five-star review. Because these kind of fraudsters often operate internationally, fighting them with legal measures has proven to be very difficult.

Since the number of fake reviews that Amazon has to delete is increasing at a rapid pace, the online retailer is now investing US$700 million in software and employees that are clamping down on such manipulative business practices. However, the platforms of online retailers are not the only target of these fraudsters, as online travel agencies are often flooded with fake reviews as well. Unfortunately, not all of these companies can invest as much money as Amazon to fight this type of fraud.

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