A team of cybersecurity researchers has discovered a misconfigured database containing information about an Amazon fake reviews scheme.
They claim that the Elasticsearch server exposed around 7GB of such data. And it's possible that more than 200,000 people have been involved in this scam.
Information About Amazon Fake Reviews Scam Has Been Exposed
The SafetyDetectives cybersecurity team spotted the unsecured server exposing a major scam affecting Amazon. At first, it wasn't password-protected, which allowed the specialists to monitor the server, but in a few days, it was locked down.
A post on the SafetyDetectives Blog states that the misconfigured database contained direct messages between the Amazon vendors and individuals willing to give fake reviews for a reward.
Moreover, the server leaked email addresses, phone numbers, and other personal details about the Amazon vendors and the individuals providing the fake reviews.
They also found information on the server explaining how Amazon vendors acquire fake reviews for their products:
These Amazon vendors send to reviewers a list of items/products for which they would like a 5-star review. The people providing the ‘fake reviews’ will then buy the products, leaving a 5-star review on Amazon a few days after receiving their merchandise.
Upon completion, the provider of the fake review will send a message to the vendor containing a link to their Amazon profile, along with their PayPal details.
Once the Amazon vendor confirms all reviews have been completed, the reviewer will receive a refund through PayPal, keeping the items they bought for free as a form of payment.
Since the refund isn't made directly through the Amazon platform, the whole scheme looks completely legitimate.
It's possible that the server is physically located in China. However, the cybersecurity team claims it contains data about Amazon vendors and individuals from almost any part of the globe, including the US and Europe.
Unfortunately, the specialists failed to find out who was the owner of the database, and therefore couldn't notify Amazon about this issue.
Don't Believe Every Amazon Product Review
Amazon has been trying to tackle the issue of fake product reviews for a long time now. However, it looks like it's a never-ending battle.
Which is why, until Amazon finds a way to deal with this problem, it is essential to stay vigilant and learn to distinguish true customers' opinions from fake reviews by yourself.