Skip to main content

Amazon removes popular tech accessory brands amid fake review scheme leak

If you go to Amazon looking for a new charger or a pair of headphones today, your options will be limited. People have started noticing that chargers, cables, webcams, keyboards, mice, speakers, and headphones — likely among other categories — from popular companies are either unavailable for shipping or gone from the platform entirely. Aukey and Mpow, extremely well-known companies with popular products, have all but disappeared from Amazon.

And we have a good idea of the reason: Fake reviews.

Recommended Videos

Online safety advocate SafetyDetective uncovered a massive trove of data pointing to wide-reaching pay-for-play review systems purportedly focused on China-based phone and computer accessory companies that primarily sell on Amazon. The leak exposed a system of companies paying to generate real-looking — but completely falsified — reviews for new products. The goal is simple: Shoot up the Amazon rankings for having a high number of reviews and an average rating, which starts the waterwheel of purchases and real reviews.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The system would essentially have third-party companies buy products, submit favorable 5-star reviews from fake user accounts, and then be reimbursed for the products (and then some) via a separate payment platform to protect the integrity of the “verified purchase” denotation on Amazon. The leak shows over 75,000 Amazon accounts being used for the services, though the true scale isn’t yet known. There could be many more individuals or smaller groups implicated in the scheme.

It’s quite a shock to see much-loved companies removed for purportedly faking reviews.

It also isn’t clear how complicit the product-selling companies were in the system, though it’s hard to imagine they were completely unaware. Fake reviews on Amazon are a long-standing problem, and although Amazon is clearly aware of the issue, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to detect them, as a cottage industry has developed with companies providing convincingly real-looking reviews. Websites like Fakespot and ReviewMeta attempt to filter out fake reviews, providing another layer beyond the extensive work Amazon does itself — but clearly, they aren’t entirely effective.

We have reached out to Amazon for comment.

Seeing all of Aukey’s products and the company’s Amazon store disappear entirely is quite a shock — particularly to those who actually use and love its products. I’ve used Aukey gear for years, and it has a truly well-deserved positive reputation — but it seems as though that wasn’t good enough to hit the rankings and goals the company set. Two of its direct competitors, Anker and RAVPower, are unaffected so far.

Andrew Martonik
Andrew Martonik is the Editor in Chief at Digital Trends, leading a diverse team of authoritative tech journalists.
The Apple Watch SE and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 are both on sale
Man wearing the Apple Watch SE 2 and typing on a MacBook.

When it comes to smartwatches, two of the best brands on the market are Apple and Samsung. The Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy lineup are both made up of numerous models with attractive designs, exciting features, and pretty reasonable prices. But it’s our job to watch out for the latest and greatest smartwatch promos, and as luck would have it, both the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 are on sale at Best Buy!
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen with GPS, 40mm) — $162 $250 35% off

Sleek and stylish, the second generation of the Apple Watch SE brings several meaningful changes to the table, including an enhanced processor, improved battery (up to 18 hours on a full charge), and an incredible selection of apps to choose from. The SE 2nd Gen also comes with 32GB of storage and a WR50 water resistance rating, which means the watch can be submerged in up to 164 feet of water for short periods.

Read more
A native Android Apple TV app is now in the Google Play store
The Apple TV app on a Samsung Android phone.

It's been five years since the Apple TV app was launched, and we're now getting a version for Android devices -- built from the ground up for native Android integration -- in the Google Play store that will have the same Apple TV+ functionality as the Apple ecosystem version. The new app means users with Android OS 10 or later will finally have the ability to sign up for Apple TV+ on their Android-based phones and tablets to watch shows and movies like Severance, Silo, Killers of the Flower Moon, and CODA. There will be no difference in pricing on Android compared to Apple.

This should enable seamless interactivity across platforms for features such as Continue Watching -- which keeps track of where you are in a show or movie and allows you to pick up from that spot when you return, regardless of the device you watch on. Customer's Watchlist will be kept up to date across devices as well, and since purchases are linked to your Apple account, all the content you own will be accessible on any device with the new updated app. One thing missing at launch, though, will be the ability to cast Apple TV content from your Android device.

Read more
Why do health apps fail? Research bursts the hype with clear evidence
Someone holding an iPhone with the Apple Fitness app open, showing the Custom Plans feature.

Earlier today, Apple announced plans for its next health study that aims to connect information collected by wearables with all major types of wellness markers. The idea is to build atop the massive corpus of data provided by users and develop new digital health tools, covering both sensor and software-based solutions.

But are we relying too much on these digital health tools, despite not getting any meaningful benefits? Experts at the Technical University of Munich have just published their findings in a research paper, and it says the positive impact of telemedicine and exercise apps is minimal for at-risk people.

Read more