They typically set up a fake email account to create an Amazon profile, then purchase the items with a gift card and ship them to the address of a random person.
Once the package is delivered, the owner of the Amazon account is then listed as a “verified buyer” of the product and can write a positive review of it that gets higher placement on product pages because of their status, according to James Thomson, a former business consultant for Amazon.
However, the deliveries of the plant seeds seem to be more widespread than first thought. This may be an underreported phenomenon. Many people may have thrown the packages away on receipt. It is also not clear if it’s Amazon or another e-commerce site where the fake reviews are being posted.
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