Amazon is suing to stop illegal text scams from using its name

As vital as our phones have ended up being, they are also an avenue for some of the most prevalent and persistent scams mankind has ever encountered. About 90% of the call I receive on a weekly basis are spam, as are an increasing percentage of my texts. Youre most likely in the same boat, and among the most common text scams is one you are most likely all too familiar with: Amazon raffles. Hopefully you were never fooled into thinking that you in fact won something from Amazon, but the texts keep coming whether or not you tap on the destructive links.
As annoyed as you may be with the text spam barrage youve been getting, it ends up that Amazon is just as fed up. This week, the online merchant revealed that it submitted a federal lawsuit in the Western District of Washington against 50 unnamed people for the operation of an unlawful marketing plan.

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Amazon describes how the text message marketing plan works in a press release regarding the lawsuit:

Bad actors in these schemes profit by producing deceitful text campaigns that drive traffic to advertisers and websites. These phony text are deliberately designed to trick unwary customers to click a link by utilizing Amazons name and offering receivers “benefits” or other “gifts.” Instead, victims are rerouted to a site to take a survey, which likewise fraudulently uses Amazons brand name and promises a reward for involvement. They are sent on to online marketers, advertisers and websites to buy products or services that have no relation to Amazon as soon as participants click for their reward. The offenders benefit from costs paid to them by affiliate marketing networks and marketers for the fraudulently created traffic.

Unsurprisingly, Amazon does not desire its name attached to these schemes, and by filing suit, the business will be able to “broaden its examination and hold the bad stars accountable.” In the legal complaint, Amazon describes those “bad stars” as John Does 1-50, because they have yet to be recognized, but as The Verge describes, this opens the door to possible Doe subpoenas, which would enable Amazon to locate the offenders.
Whether or not Amazon will have the ability to trace these spammy text back to a source stays to be seen, however the business did so successfully back in 2018. Here are information from journalism release:

Youre most likely in the same boat, and among the most common text rip-offs is one you are probably all too familiar with: Amazon raffles. Hopefully you were never ever tricked into believing that you actually won something from Amazon, but the texts keep coming whether or not you tap on the harmful links.
Instead, victims are redirected to a site to take a survey, which also fraudulently utilizes Amazons brand and guarantees a benefit for involvement. When individuals click for their reward, they are sent on to online marketers, advertisers and websites to purchase items or services that have no relation to Amazon.

Well have to see and wait whether this new claim suffices to put a damper on the fake Amazon texts.

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Jacob began covering video games and technology in college as a hobby, however it quickly ended up being clear to him that this was what he wished to provide for a living. He currently lives in New York writing for BGR. His previously published work can be found on TechHive, VentureBeat and Game Rant.

Amazon invests significant resources to protect consumers and its brand name, and has a history of shutting and determining down comparable operations. Amazon has currently submitted 5 claims against deceptive affiliate marketing plans, won multiple injunctions in court to stop the illegal activities, and entered settlements with 7 parties in which they accepted stop their campaigns and pay in excess of $1.5 million in damages.