Product Listing Hijacking: When Good Products Get Flooded with Fake Reviews

Listing hijacking is one of the most deceptive fraud tactics on Amazon. Bad actors attach themselves to legitimate product listings, sell counterfeit or inferior goods, and inherit the original product's reviews and reputation. Understanding this scam can save you from receiving fake products with real-looking reviews.

What Is Listing Hijacking?

On Amazon, multiple sellers can sell the same product under a single listing. This system works well for legitimate products—you see one product page with multiple seller options, often including Amazon itself. The "Buy Box" goes to the seller with the best combination of price, shipping speed, and reputation.

Listing hijacking exploits this system. A fraudulent seller identifies a successful product listing with positive reviews, then offers to sell the "same" product at a lower price. They win the Buy Box because of their lower price, but ship a counterfeit or inferior product instead of the genuine item.

How Listing Hijacking Works

Step 1: Target Selection

Hijackers identify successful products with strong review histories and high sales volumes. Products without Brand Registry protection are particularly vulnerable. Categories with generic products (cables, accessories, basic electronics) are common targets.

Step 2: Listing Attachment

The hijacker creates a seller account and requests to sell on the existing product listing. Amazon's system allows this because the platform assumes multiple sellers might legitimately carry the same product. The hijacker claims to have the genuine product.

Step 3: Price Undercutting

The hijacker offers the product at a significantly lower price than legitimate sellers. This lower price helps them win the Buy Box—the default purchase option that most customers use without checking other sellers.

Step 4: Counterfeit Fulfillment

When orders come in, the hijacker ships counterfeit or inferior products instead of the genuine item. Because the products look similar (same packaging, sometimes decent knockoffs), many customers don't realize they've been scammed.

Step 5: Review Inheritance

Here's the insidious part: all the legitimate reviews from genuine purchases remain on the listing. New customers see 4.5 stars and hundreds of positive reviews—but those reviews are for a completely different product than what they'll receive.

Signs of a Hijacked Listing

1. Multiple Sellers with Wildly Different Prices

If you see the same product from multiple sellers with prices ranging from $15 to $45, be suspicious. Legitimate price variation exists, but extreme differences often indicate that lower-priced sellers are shipping different (inferior) products.

2. "Ships from" Doesn't Match Expected Origin

A product from a well-known domestic brand shipping from overseas should raise red flags. Check the "Ships from" information for each seller. Legitimate brand products typically ship from the brand, Amazon warehouses, or authorized distributors.

3. Recent Negative Reviews Mention Different Product

Read the most recent reviews carefully. If recent 1-star reviews say "This isn't the same product" or "Received a cheap knockoff," the listing has likely been hijacked. Older positive reviews may be genuine, but recent buyers are receiving fakes.

4. Seller Name Doesn't Match Brand

If the Buy Box seller is "BestDeals2025" or "QualityGoodsStore" for a branded product, that's suspicious. Legitimate brand products are typically sold by the brand itself, Amazon, or recognizable authorized retailers.

5. New Seller with Limited History

Click on the seller name to view their profile. Hijackers often use new accounts with limited feedback history. A seller with 50 reviews selling alongside Amazon or the brand with thousands of reviews is suspicious.

A Real-World Example

Consider a popular USB-C cable with 15,000 reviews and a 4.6-star rating. The original seller prices it at $12.99. A hijacker attaches to the listing and offers the "same" cable for $6.99 with Prime shipping.

The hijacker wins the Buy Box because of the lower price. Customers see 15,000 positive reviews and buy confidently. They receive a cable that looks similar but uses inferior materials—it might work initially but fails after a few weeks, or worse, damages their devices.

Meanwhile, the listing's overall rating gradually drops as hijacking victims leave negative reviews. But by the time the damage is visible, the hijacker has made thousands of sales and often disappeared to start again with a new account.

How Reviews Become Unreliable

Listing hijacking creates a specific pattern in review data:

• Historical reviews (6+ months old): Mostly positive, detailed, authentic—from customers who received the genuine product
• Recent reviews (last few months): Increasingly negative, mentioning quality issues or "different product"—from hijacking victims
• Rating trend: Gradual decline as more customers receive counterfeit products

This is why review analysis tools that examine timing patterns are valuable. A sudden shift in review sentiment often indicates hijacking or a product change.

How to Protect Yourself

Always Check Who's Selling

Before clicking "Buy Now," look at who's actually selling the product. The Buy Box shows "Ships from [Seller] and sold by [Seller]." If it's not the brand, Amazon, or a recognizable retailer, investigate further.

Click "Other Sellers"

Amazon shows other sellers offering the same product. Compare prices and seller reputations. If the brand or Amazon sells it for $15 but an unknown seller offers it for $8, the cheaper option is likely counterfeit.

Read Recent Reviews First

Sort reviews by "Most Recent" rather than "Top Reviews." Recent reviews reflect what current buyers are receiving. If recent reviews are overwhelmingly negative despite a high overall rating, the listing may be hijacked.

Use Review Analysis Tools

Tools like Null Fake analyze review patterns over time. Sudden changes in review sentiment, timing anomalies, and inconsistent quality mentions can indicate hijacked listings.

Pay Slightly More for Confidence

If the brand sells directly or through Amazon at a higher price than third-party sellers, consider paying the premium. The few extra dollars provide assurance you're getting the genuine product.

What Brands Are Doing

Legitimate brands use several strategies to combat hijacking:

• Brand Registry: Amazon's Brand Registry gives brands more control over their listings and the ability to report hijackers
• Exclusive selling arrangements: Some brands sell only through their own Amazon storefront
• Authentication codes: Scannable codes that verify product authenticity
• Monitoring services: Third-party services that detect and report hijackers

However, these measures aren't foolproof. Hijackers adapt quickly, and Amazon's vast marketplace makes comprehensive enforcement difficult.

What to Do If You've Been Hijacked

1. Document everything: Photos of what you received, packaging, any quality issues
2. Request a refund: Use Amazon's return system, selecting "Item not as described"
3. Leave an honest review: Help future buyers by noting that the product received was different from what the reviews describe
4. Report the seller: Use "Report a problem with this seller" to alert Amazon
5. Contact the brand: Legitimate brands want to know about hijackers on their listings

The Bottom Line

Listing hijacking exploits Amazon's multi-seller system to deceive customers with inherited reviews. The authentic reviews you see may be for a completely different product than what you'll receive. Always verify who's actually selling, read recent reviews, and be suspicious of prices significantly below competitors.

Review analysis tools can help detect hijacking patterns, but your own vigilance is the best defense. A few minutes of research before purchasing can save you from receiving counterfeit products with "genuine" reviews.