How to Report Counterfeit Products on Amazon

ByGulfam Haidar

If you own the brand, report counterfeit products on Amazon with the Report a Violation tool in Brand Registry. Pick the listing and the seller, then choose the counterfeit option. Attach proof such as a test-buy order ID and photos of the fake next to the real item. If you do not own the brand, use Amazon’s public infringement form or tell the brand. Amazon says it found and destroyed over 15 million fake items in 2025.

Key facts

  • Amazon identified and disposed of 15 million+ counterfeit products in 2025 (Amazon, 22 Apr 2026).
  • Its Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued 32,000+ bad actors in 14 countries since 2020 (same report).
  • Project Zero needs Report a Violation use in the last 6 months with at least a 90% acceptance rate (Amazon).
  • Transparency codes cost $0.05 each for up to 1 million codes, $0.03 up to 10 million, $0.01 above (Amazon).
  • Report a Violation, Project Zero and the Counterfeit Crimes Unit carry no Amazon fee. Test buys and legal costs are yours.

This guide is not legal advice. It is how we handle these reports as account managers since 2019. For a lawsuit, a cease and desist letter or a resale dispute, talk to a trademark lawyer.

First, is it really counterfeit?

Check what you are looking at before you file anything, since a wrong report type is hard to undo. A counterfeit is a fake copy of your product that carries your brand name or logo. Many things that feel like counterfeits are something else, and each needs a different tool.

In the accounts we manage, wrong report types cause more rejections than weak proof. Use this table first.

What you see What it is Right tool Evidence that works
A fake item sold under your brand, often on your own listing Counterfeit Report a Violation, counterfeit option Test-buy order ID, photos of fake vs real, what differs
Your logo or brand name on a different product Trademark misuse Report a Violation, trademark option Trademark registration number, screenshot of the misuse
Your real product resold by a seller you did not approve Usually lawful resale (first sale) Not a counterfeit report. Talk to a lawyer about distribution None for a counterfeit claim
Another seller changed your title, images or brand field Listing hijack (content change) Brand Registry catalog fix or Seller Support case Your approved content, screenshots with dates
A product that copies your design but not your name Design or copyright copying Report a Violation, design patent or copyright option Patent or copyright registration, side-by-side images

Two terms need a plain definition. A “test buy” is an order you place yourself to get the item in hand. “First sale” is the US rule that once a genuine item is sold, the buyer may resell it. So a reseller of your real goods is usually not an infringer, even if you never approved them.

There are gray areas. Goods made for another country, or with the warranty or codes removed, can differ in ways a court may treat as infringement. That is a question for a lawyer, not for a counterfeit report.

How to report counterfeit products on Amazon with Report a Violation

Once you know it is a true fake, the fix sits inside Brand Registry. Report a Violation (RAV) is the Brand Registry tool that lets a brand owner flag listings and sellers. You need an active Brand Registry account with your registered trademark. If you are not enrolled yet, start with our Amazon Brand Registry guide.

Here are the steps we follow.

  1. Log in to Brand Registry and open Protect your brand, then Report a violation.
  2. Search by ASIN (Amazon’s product ID), keyword, or image. Image search finds fakes that use a different name.
  3. Tick every listing that shows the problem. Group listings from the same seller in one report.
  4. Choose the trademark concern, then the option that says the product is counterfeit.
  5. Enter your trademark registration number and the seller name from the offer.
  6. Add the test-buy order ID and a short note on how the fake differs.
  7. Attach photos and submit. Save the case ID for your records.

Amazon does not publish a fixed response time. In our experience most cases get a first reply within a few days, and harder ones take longer. Check the case under Submission history, and reply fast if Amazon asks for more.


What evidence Amazon accepts

The report is only as strong as the proof behind it. Amazon has to see that the item is fake, and not only that it is cheap or sold by a stranger.

This is what works in the cases we file:

  • Test-buy order ID. Seller reports and forum threads say counterfeit claims usually need one. Amazon has not published a firm rule, but we always include it.
  • Photos of fake vs real. Lay both items side by side. Shoot the label, stitching, barcode, packaging and any serial number.
  • A plain list of differences. For example: “Our label uses a 3-color print. This one uses 2. Our lot code is on the base. This one has none.”
  • Your trademark registration number. It must match the brand in Brand Registry.
  • Invoices or batch records, if you need to show a code or batch never left your factory.

Price alone is not proof. A claim that “we never sold to this seller” is not proof either. Both describe resale as well as fraud, so Amazon tends to reject them.

If you are not the brand owner

Now the other side. Maybe you resell a brand, or a fake seller is taking your sales on a listing you share. You cannot use RAV, because only the rights owner has access.

You still have three routes:

  • The public infringement form. Rights owners who are not in Brand Registry can file at amazon.com/report/infringement. You must own the right you report.
  • Tell the brand. Send them the ASIN, the seller name, your order ID and photos. They can file in RAV.
  • Seller Support. Open a case about a listing problem on an item you sell. Do not frame it as a trademark claim you do not own.

What you cannot do: file an IP claim for a brand you do not own. Amazon treats false claims as abuse. That can put your own account at risk.

If you own a mark that is still pending, read how Brand Registry works without a registered trademark.

If you bought a fake as a shopper

Shoppers have a simpler path, and it starts with spotting the fake. Common signs of counterfeit products on Amazon: a price far below other offers, a seller with few ratings, and blurry print. Packaging that differs from the brand’s own photos is another.

If you already bought one, return the item through Your Orders and say it is not as described. If the seller will not fix it, file an A-to-z Guarantee claim. That is Amazon’s promise to cover third-party orders that go wrong.

Then report the listing so other shoppers are not caught out. Use the “Report an issue” link on the product page, or Amazon’s Report Suspicious Activity help page. Keep the item and your photos in case Amazon asks.

Protect your acceptance rate

Every rejected report costs a brand owner more than time. Your RAV acceptance rate is the share of your reports that Amazon accepts. Project Zero only opens to brands with RAV use in the last 6 months and a rate of at least 90%.

Here is the math on why each report counts for a brand owner who wants to report counterfeit sellers at scale. Say you filed 40 reports in six months and Amazon accepted 36. That is 90%, the minimum. One more rejected report makes it 36 of 41, or 87.8%, and you lose the rate you need.

We keep the rate high with four habits:

  1. Run the decision table before every report.
  2. Never file on resellers of genuine goods.
  3. Skip cases where the only proof is a low price.
  4. Send weak cases to test buy first, then report.

The escalation ladder

Once your reports are clean, you can climb to stronger tools. Each rung needs more setup and gives you more control.

Rung What it does Who qualifies Cost
Report a Violation You flag listings and sellers. Amazon reviews each case Brand Registry rights owners Free
Project Zero You remove fake listings yourself. Automated protections scan for more Brand Registry, registered trademark, RAV use in 6 months at 90%+ Free
Transparency A unique code on every unit, checked before Amazon ships Brand Registry rights owner, registered trademark, GTIN $0.05 per code up to 1M; $0.03 up to 10M; $0.01 above
Counterfeit Crimes Unit Amazon joins civil suits as co-plaintiff and makes police referrals Brands that report through RAV No Amazon fee; test buys and legal fees are yours

Project Zero runs in 21 territories. Self-service removal means you take a fake listing down without waiting on a review. Amazon says it can be paired with Transparency.

Transparency is Amazon’s serial code program. A GTIN is the barcode number, such as a UPC. Amazon checks the code on each unit, so fakes without a valid code do not ship. It runs in 10 countries. Amazon says 90,000+ brands use it and 2.7 billion+ units have been verified.

Here is the cost math. You sell 50,000 units a year. Each unit needs one code at $0.05. That is 50,000 x $0.05 = $2,500 a year. If your average price is $25, you sell $1,250,000, so codes cost 0.2% of sales. Enrollment itself is free, though printing and labor to apply codes add cost.

The Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) is the top rung. Brands feed it cases through RAV. It then sues bad actors alongside the brand or refers them to police.

Amazon’s 2025 counterfeit numbers

The ladder works at scale, and Amazon’s own data shows how big the problem is. On 22 April 2026 Amazon published its first Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report. It replaces the old Brand Protection Report and covers 2025.

The headline figures:

  • 15 million+ counterfeit products identified and disposed of in 2025.
  • 32,000+ bad actors pursued by the CCU in 14 countries since 2020.
  • An early warning system flags threats about 8 days before brands report them.

That 8-day figure matters for how you work, because Amazon catches much on its own. Your reports fill the gaps. Aim them at sellers it has missed, with proof it cannot gather itself.

Business Standard also reported that Amazon’s patent process, APEX, resolves disputes in about 30 days. We have not seen that figure on an Amazon page, so treat it as press coverage.

If your account was reported for counterfeit

Sometimes the report lands on you. A brand may file against you as a reseller, even when your stock is real. Check Account Health in Seller Central first, because it shows the complaint, the ASIN and the rights owner.

Then act in this order:

  1. Stop and check your stock. Confirm where it came from. If there is any doubt, remove the offer.
  2. Gather invoices. Amazon wants invoices from the maker or an authorized distributor, with quantities that cover your sales.
  3. Get a Letter of Authorization from the brand, if you have a deal with them. It proves you may sell the goods.
  4. Contact the rights owner. If the claim is wrong, ask them to retract it. A retraction often clears the issue fastest.
  5. Appeal with a plan of action. Explain the cause, the fix and how you will prevent it. Keep it factual.

Retail receipts rarely work as proof. Amazon may also ask for a supply chain you can trace. Repeat complaints can lead to suspension, so treat the first one seriously.

If you need help with appeals and account health, see our Amazon account management service.

Where this advice could be wrong

Amazon changes menus and labels often, so the steps above may drift. They match what we see in September 2026, but button names can shift. The test-buy rule is seller practice, not a written Amazon policy.

Trademark law also differs by country. First sale in the US does not map neatly onto rules in the EU or elsewhere. Gray market goods are a legal question.

Last, a fake item and a fake review are different problems. If rivals are also attacking your ratings, read our guide to dealing with negative and fake Amazon reviews.

Frequently asked questions

How do I report a counterfeit seller on Amazon?

Use Report a Violation in Brand Registry if you own the brand. Search the ASIN, tick the listings, pick the counterfeit option and add a test-buy order ID with photos. Non-owners should tell the brand or use the public infringement form. Save your case ID and answer any follow-up from Amazon quickly.

Can I report counterfeits if I am not the brand owner?

Yes, but only in limited ways. You can pass the details to the brand, open a Seller Support case about a listing you sell on, or report as a shopper. You cannot file an IP claim for a brand you do not own, because Amazon treats false claims as abuse.

Do I need a test buy to report a counterfeit?

In practice, usually yes. Amazon has not published a firm rule, but seller reports say counterfeit claims without a test-buy order ID get rejected more often. Buy the item, photograph it next to your genuine product, and list the exact differences in your report. That gives Amazon proof it can check.

How long does Amazon take to act on a report?

Amazon does not publish a fixed timeline. In our experience most simple reports get a first reply within a few days, while cases that need more proof can take longer. Track the case in your submission history and reply to any request fast, since delays on your side slow the result.

What is Amazon Project Zero?

Project Zero is a free Brand Registry program that lets you remove fake listings yourself. It adds automated protections and runs in 21 territories. To join, you need a registered trademark and Report a Violation use in the last 6 months with at least a 90% acceptance rate.

How much does Amazon Transparency cost?

Transparency charges per code, with free enrollment. Amazon lists $0.05 per code for up to 1 million codes, $0.03 up to 10 million, and $0.01 above that. A brand selling 50,000 units a year pays about $2,500 in codes, plus printing and labor.

What happens to sellers reported for counterfeit?

Amazon may remove the offer, block the listing or suspend the account after repeat complaints. The seller sees the claim in Account Health. They can respond with supplier invoices, a Letter of Authorization, a retraction from the rights owner, or an appeal with a plan of action.

Is reselling genuine products trademark infringement?

Usually not in the US. Under first sale, a buyer of a genuine item may resell it. A brand cannot call that counterfeit. Exceptions exist when goods differ in a material way, such as items made for another market. This is not legal advice, so ask a trademark lawyer.

What is the Amazon Counterfeit Crimes Unit?

The Counterfeit Crimes Unit is Amazon’s legal team for fake goods. It joins brands as co-plaintiff in civil suits and makes joint police referrals. Amazon reports it has pursued over 32,000 bad actors since 2020. Amazon charges no fee, but the brand pays for test buys and legal work.

Why was my Report a Violation rejected?

Most rejections come from the wrong report type or thin proof. Filing counterfeit on a genuine reseller, relying on price alone, or skipping the test-buy order ID are common causes. Match the problem to the right option, add side-by-side photos, and list the differences before you file again.

Does Brand Registry stop counterfeiters?

Brand Registry gives you the tools, but it does not stop fakes by itself. You still need to search, report and keep proof. Stronger control comes from Project Zero self-service removal and Transparency codes on each unit. Brands with repeat cases can also feed them to the CCU.

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