Amazon Sellers Face Rising Malicious Attacks in Ecommerce Battle

Published: 01/04/2026
Malicious Attacks Cross-border E-commerce Amazon Platform
This paper delves into the frequent occurrence of malicious Listing attacks on the Amazon platform, revealing the underlying causes of fierce competition in cross-border e-commerce. It explores how sellers can protect themselves and emphasizes the regulatory responsibilities of the platform. The paper also calls for the industry to jointly build a healthy competitive ecosystem to address challenges such as low sales and promote the healthy development of the cross-border e-commerce industry. This collaborative approach is crucial for fostering sustainable growth and mitigating the negative impacts of malicious activities.
Amazon Sellers Face Rising Malicious Attacks in Ecommerce Battle

The cross-border e-commerce industry resembles a turbulent ocean where opportunities and challenges coexist. However, when competition no longer follows fair principles, malicious behavior emerges like undercurrents threatening every participant's safety. Recent large-scale malicious attacks on Amazon listings highlight this toxic competition, exposing both platform regulatory loopholes and the survival challenges sellers face in this cutthroat environment.

I. The Attack Wave: Mass Listing Removals on Amazon

Malicious activities on Amazon primarily involve unscrupulous sellers disrupting competitors' normal operations through unethical means. Numerous sellers recently reported their listings being maliciously altered and reported, resulting in product removals or frozen inventory. These attacks typically share these characteristics:

  • Listing Tampering: Attackers use technical means to modify victims' listing information, such as replacing product descriptions with meaningless characters (like "OIMG"), destroying listing integrity.
  • False Complaints: After altering listings, attackers file complaints citing "trademark abuse" or "counterfeit goods." Amazon's consumer-first approach often leads to immediate listing removals, even for baseless claims.
  • No-Purchase Attacks: These complaints require no actual product purchases, enabling attackers to target numerous listings quickly and cheaply.

Victims report these attacks span nearly all Amazon product categories. Some sellers saw dozens or hundreds of listings attacked simultaneously, causing massive sales declines and even forcing business suspensions. This indiscriminate assault disrupts Amazon's marketplace and inflicts significant financial and psychological damage on compliant sellers.

II. Behind the Attacks: E-Commerce Competition Reaches Boiling Point

These attacks aren't isolated incidents but symptoms of hyper-competitive cross-border e-commerce. With slowing demand and disappearing platform growth, some sellers resort to unethical tactics to capture shrinking market share.

  • Traffic Wars: In e-commerce, traffic determines sales. By removing competitors' listings or lowering rankings, attackers divert traffic to their own products.
  • Profit Motives: The industry's relatively high profit margins attract countless sellers. Intensifying competition drives some to employ malicious tactics for unfair advantages.
  • Platform Loopholes: Despite Amazon's rules, enforcement gaps exist. Over-reliance on automated systems without human review enables false complaints. Weak penalties also fail to deter bad actors effectively.

III. Fighting Back: Seller Strategies and Platform Responsibilities

Confronting these attacks requires proactive seller defenses and stronger platform accountability.

Seller Countermeasures:

  • Listing Protection: Regularly monitor listings for unauthorized changes. Strengthen intellectual property protections through trademarks or patents.
  • Prompt Appeals: Immediately appeal malicious complaints with detailed explanations and evidence. Maintain professional communication with Amazon support.
  • Legal Action: For significant damages, consider legal recourse. Collaborate with other victims to pressure Amazon for stronger protections.

Amazon's Responsibilities:

  • Enhanced Oversight: Improve complaint verification with human reviews. Strengthen penalties against malicious actors, including fines or permanent bans.
  • Streamlined Appeals: Optimize appeal processes to reduce resolution times. Provide dedicated support channels for affected sellers.
  • Technical Safeguards: Implement advanced CAPTCHAs, IP restrictions, and account security to prevent listing tampering.

IV. Broader Challenges: Slumping Sales and Rising Costs

Beyond malicious attacks, cross-border sellers face multiple headwinds:

  • Demand Slowdown: Global economic weakness and inflation depress consumer spending in key markets.
  • Cost Inflation: Rising logistics, storage, and marketing expenses squeeze profit margins.
  • Market Saturation: Surging seller numbers intensify competition from domestic and international rivals.
  • Inventory Glut: Sluggish sales and supply chain issues leave many sellers overstocked.

To survive, sellers must innovate products, optimize supply chains, diversify sales channels, and strengthen risk management.

V. Industry Call: Building Ethical Competition

Sustainable cross-border e-commerce requires fair, ethical competition. Malicious attacks harm individual sellers and the entire industry's health. All stakeholders must collaborate to foster a healthier ecosystem:

  • Seller Ethics: Commit to fair competition and knowledge sharing.
  • Platform Leadership: Enforce rules strictly while encouraging compliant innovation.
  • Policy Support: Governments should establish clear regulations and international cooperation frameworks.

In this challenging marketplace, integrity and innovation must guide all participants toward building a sustainable future for global e-commerce.

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