Leaked Internal Amazon Data, Marketplace Info Hawked by Sellers on Telegram: Report

Anonymous Amazon employees hawked data and information over Telegram and other social media sites to help third-party sellers on the platform get an edge, according to a CNBC report.

A number of Telegram channels, including one that boasts more than 13,000 members, were identified by CNBC as well as Facebook, WhatsApp and WeChat groups where anonymous users who claim to be Amazon employees sell users a leg up for their business on Amazon.

For $200 to $400, Amazon insiders promise services like nixing negative reviews, helping users through account suspension appeals, and other marketplace data, according to the material in the CNBC report.

Amazon did not respond to The Messenger's request for comment, but a spokesperson for Amazon told CNBC that the company has protocols for detecting suspicious behavior and forwards information to law enforcement when applicable. 

“There is no place for fraud at Amazon and we will continue to pursue all measures to protect our store and hold bad actors accountable,” they said. 

Third-party sellers on Amazon marketplace make up 60% of sales made on Amazon.

An unnamed source told CNBC that Amazon has a dedicated unit for investigating employees suspected of leaking data which monitors social media sites for these types of arrangements. 

In 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that some Amazon employees had received $80 to $2,000 in bribes in return for confidential information. In 2020, the Department of Justice indicted six people for taking bribes and committing fraud to benefit some Amazon Marketplace merchants. In July, one of the people was sentenced to two years probation while others have received sentences of up to 20 months in prison.