Amazon Sues Affiliate Marketers Of CBD Products Due To Fake Gift Card Email Scams

Amazon filed a lawsuit against several unnamed defendants for allegedly using the company’s name to fool people into clicking on affiliate links.

The company further alleges that defendants made a profit from the email marketing campaign and built a traffic base. The complaint further alleges, “Defendants are engaged in a widespread, fraudulent marketing scheme that bombards victims with unauthorized emails and abuses Amazon’s brand to generate traffic.” It further alleges, “Defendants then profit from fees for this fraudulently generated traffic paid to them by affiliate marketing networks and advertisers.”

An Amazon spokesperson shared with GeekWire this week,

“Amazon works hard to delight our customers and we take aggressive action when we see bad actors attempting to misuse our brand to deceive unsuspecting customers. This suit will hold these bad actors accountable and help us protect customers.”

One of the alleged schemes involves a CBD company, according to Digital News Daily. The publication states that once consumers click on a link, they are directed through several domains, and reach an “Amazon” survey. The survey asks if users would recommend Amazon to a friend, and when is the last time they’ve purchased through Amazon. Upon completing the survey, some users are directed to a page where they can purchase discounted products, one of which includes “100% pure CBD oil.”