MajorsFeb 12, 2026
These 8 Saks Fifth Avenue Stores Are ClosingParent company Saks Global is also closing nearly all Saks Off 5th locations, a Neiman Marcus store, and 14 personal styling suites.
TechnologyNov 13, 2020
Amazon Files Lawsuit Against Influencers Allegedly Promoting Fakes
The retail giant is taking legal action against 13 defendants accused of false advertising and selling counterfeit products from Gucci, Dior, and other luxury brands.
The retail giant is cracking down on counterfeit goods, filing a lawsuit against more than a dozen defendants accused of false advertising and selling fake luxury items.
Seattle—Amazon.com Inc is taking legal action against more than a dozen sellers of alleged counterfeit products, including two influencers.
The retail giant filed a lawsuit against 13 individuals and businesses for advertising, promoting, and facilitating the sale of counterfeit luxury goods in Amazon’s store, in violation of its company policies and the law.
Filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, the suit alleges that defendants and influencers Kelly Fitzpatrick and Sabrina Kelly-Krejci worked with sellers to promote counterfeit goods on their Instagram and TikTok accounts and their websites.
They would post side-by-side photos of a generic, non-branded product and a luxury counterfeit product with the message “Order this/Get this.”
The process worked like a hidden link, explained Fitzpatrick to her followers in a social media post shared in Amazon’s court filing.
“You order a certain product that looks nothing like the designer dupe in order to hide the item from getting taken down [by Amazon] and orders being cancelled.”
To evade anti-counterfeit protections, Amazon said the two would only post the generic item for sale, but then promote the counterfeit items on their social media accounts.
Customers would place an order for this generic product but receive a counterfeit luxury product instead.
Fitzpatrick and Kelly-Krejci also allegedly posted numerous videos describing the high quality of the fake goods, Amazon said.
“These defendants were brazen about promoting counterfeits on social media and undermined the work of legitimate influencers,” said Cristina Posa, associate general counsel and director, Amazon Counterfeit Crimes Unit, in a press release.
Amazon opened its Counterfeit Crimes Unit division in June, assembling a team that specializes in investigating and bringing legal action against bad actors.
Posa said this case demonstrated “the need for cross-industry collaboration in order to drive counterfeiters out of business.”
Amazon is investing resources to stop counterfeit goods from ever getting to the site, Posa said, adding that social media sites also need to monitor accounts that use their services for illegal purposes.
Fitzpatrick was previously a member of the Amazon Influencer Program, which lets members advertise and link to Amazon products in exchange for a percentage of the sales. She was removed when Amazon detected alleged counterfeiting.
She continued to advertise the fake goods, Amazon said, directing followers to her website. Amazon detected similar behavior from Kelly-Krejci.
“[N]ow as most of you know Amazon [sic] has really
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
cracked down on dupes … now they’re [sic] are barely any [dupes on Amazon],” said Fitzpatrick, as per Amazon’s press release. “Our very trusted seller of the last year has moved to DH Gate … I know it’s a big change to switch from Amazon to DH Gate but this guarantees that the links do not get reported and shut down sometimes cancelling our orders.”
DH Gate is a wholesale e-commerce platform based in China.
“Fitzpatrick’s ability to move her counterfeiting from one e-commerce site to another shows how pernicious her activity really is, and how she is only likely to be stopped by way of the requested court order,” said Amazon in a court filing.
Instagram took down her account on July 27, per a court filing, but Fitzpatrick opened a new account on July 31 and allegedly continued to promote counterfeit goods.
When that account was also taken down on Aug. 10, she created a new one the next day and launched her own website.
She also allegedly promoted the sale of counterfeit goods on Etsy.
An investigator retained by Amazon made several test purchases, receiving counterfeit belts, bags, wallets, and sunglasses claiming to be from Gucci, as well as a purse and bracelet from Dior.
Amazon repeated the process with Kelly-Krejci, monitoring her social media accounts and websites as she allegedly promoted counterfeit goods. Test orders were placed for handbags said to be from Gucci and Dior.
Upon receiving counterfeit products, the accounts that sent the merchandise were shut down.
The influencers’ current websites and social media accounts appear to have been taken down as of Friday morning.
Amazon said it “strictly prohibits counterfeit products in its stores, and in 2019 alone, invested more than $500 million to protect customers and brands from fraud, abuse, and counterfeit.”
The company is seeking an injunction against Fitzpatrick, Kelly-Krejci and the connected parties as well as profits from counterfeit Amazon sales and attorneys’ fees and costs in filing the lawsuit. The total amount was undisclosed.
Amazon has filed several lawsuits against counterfeiters, including a joint lawsuit with Italian luxury fashion brand Valentino, cosmetics retailer KF Beauty, and JL Childress, a seller of travel products for parents.
DH Gate is a wholesale e-commerce platform based in China.
“Fitzpatrick’s ability to move her counterfeiting from one e-commerce site to another shows how pernicious her activity really is, and how she is only likely to be stopped by way of the requested court order,” said Amazon in a court filing.
Instagram took down her account on July 27, per a court filing, but Fitzpatrick opened a new account on July 31 and allegedly continued to promote counterfeit goods.
When that account was also taken down on Aug. 10, she created a new one the next day and launched her own website.
She also allegedly promoted the sale of counterfeit goods on Etsy.
An investigator retained by Amazon made several test purchases, receiving counterfeit belts, bags, wallets, and sunglasses claiming to be from Gucci, as well as a purse and bracelet from Dior.
Amazon repeated the process with Kelly-Krejci, monitoring her social media accounts and websites as she allegedly promoted counterfeit goods. Test orders were placed for handbags said to be from Gucci and Dior.
Upon receiving counterfeit products, the accounts that sent the merchandise were shut down.
The influencers’ current websites and social media accounts appear to have been taken down as of Friday morning.
Amazon said it “strictly prohibits counterfeit products in its stores, and in 2019 alone, invested more than $500 million to protect customers and brands from fraud, abuse, and counterfeit.”
The company is seeking an injunction against Fitzpatrick, Kelly-Krejci and the connected parties as well as profits from counterfeit Amazon sales and attorneys’ fees and costs in filing the lawsuit. The total amount was undisclosed.
Amazon has filed several lawsuits against counterfeiters, including a joint lawsuit with Italian luxury fashion brand Valentino, cosmetics retailer KF Beauty, and JL Childress, a seller of travel products for parents.
More on Technology
The Latest
CollectionsFeb 12, 2026
British Museum Raises $5M to Keep Jewel Linked to Henry VIII, Katherine of AragonIt is believed the 24-karat heart-shaped enameled pendant was made for an event marking the betrothal of Princess Mary in 1518.
SourcingFeb 12, 2026
‘Cotton Candy’ Necklace, 35-Carat Kunzite Win 2025 ‘Buyer’s Choice’ AwardsThe AGTA Spectrum and Cutting Edge “Buyer’s Choice” award winners were announced at the Spectrum Awards Gala last week.
Brought to you by
The MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program: Attracting & Training the Next Generation of Bench JewelersLaunched in 2023, the program will help the passing of knowledge between generations and alleviate the shortage of bench jewelers.
Events & AwardsFeb 12, 2026
Kering Opens Entries for 2026 Sustainability-Focused AwardThe “Kering Generation Award x Jewelry” returns for its second year with “Second Chance, First Choice” as its theme.
Weekly QuizFeb 12, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
TrendsFeb 11, 2026
Halle Berry’s Retro Engagement Ring Is a Sapphire-Set StunnerSourced by For Future Reference Vintage, the yellow gold ring has a round center stone surrounded by step-cut sapphires.
MajorsFeb 11, 2026
Francesca’s Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy AgainThe clothing and accessories chain announced last month it would be closing all of its stores.
Brought to you by
How Jewelers Can Fight Back Against Cell JammersCriminals are using cell jammers to disable alarms, but new technology like JamAlert™ can stop them.
CollectionsFeb 11, 2026
Zales Turns Sweethearts Into Jewelry for Valentine’s Day CollectionThe “Zales x Sweethearts” collection features three mystery heart charms engraved with classic sayings seen on the Valentine’s Day candies.
Events & AwardsFeb 11, 2026
TJS Announces Roundtable, Launches New AppRegistration is now open for The Jewelry Symposium, set to take place in Detroit from May 16-19.
SourcingFeb 10, 2026
At Meeting in South Africa, Support for Natural Diamonds Picks Up Steam Namibia has formally signed the Luanda Accord, while two key industry organizations pledged to join the Natural Diamond Council.
TrendsFeb 10, 2026
Bad Bunny Wears Football-Shaped ‘Desert Diamond’ for Halftime PerformanceLady Gaga, Cardi B, and Karol G also went with diamond jewelry for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show honoring Puerto Rico.
SurveysFeb 10, 2026
Shoppers to Spend Big on Jewelry This Valentine’s Day, Says NRFJewelry is expected to be the No. 1 gift this year in terms of dollars spent.
FinancialsFeb 10, 2026
Kering Plans Transformation as 2025 Sales Sink 13%As star brand Gucci continues to struggle, the luxury titan plans to announce a new roadmap to return to growth.
SourcingFeb 10, 2026
AGTA To Debut ‘Stuller Color of the Year’ Spectrum Awards CategoryThe new category asks entrants for “exceptional” interpretations of the supplier’s 2026 color of the year, which is “Signature Red.”
Policies & IssuesFeb 09, 2026
U.S., India Trade Deal One Step Closer to Being FinalizedThe White House issued an official statement on the deal, which will eliminate tariffs on loose natural diamonds and gemstones from India.
Events & AwardsFeb 09, 2026
JA Now Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsEntries for the jewelry design competition will be accepted through March 20.
IndependentsFeb 09, 2026
James Free Jewelers Unveils Revamped FlagshipThe Ohio jeweler’s new layout features a curated collection of brand boutiques to promote storytelling and host in-store events.
TrendsFeb 09, 2026
These 14 Jewels Will Melt Your Heart This Valentine’s DayFrom heart motifs to pink pearls, Valentine’s Day is filled with jewelry imbued with love.
CrimeFeb 06, 2026
Florida Man Sentenced After Selling Fake Native American Jewelry for a Decade Prosecutors say the man attended arts and craft fairs claiming he was a third-generation jeweler who was a member of the Pueblo tribe.
FinancialsFeb 06, 2026
Pandora’s North America GM Departs Amid Executive ChangesNew CEO Berta de Pablos-Barbier shared her priorities for the Danish jewelry company this year as part of its fourth-quarter results.
TrendsFeb 06, 2026
Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi Wear Matching Cece Jewellery Signet RingsOur Piece of the Week picks are these bespoke rings the “Wuthering Heights” stars have been spotted wearing during the film’s press tour.
MajorsFeb 05, 2026
Pandora to Begin Selling Platinum-Plated JewelryThe introduction of platinum plating will reduce its reliance on silver amid volatile price swings, said Pandora.
SourcingFeb 05, 2026
De Beers Lowers Production Guidance for 2026, Anglo Mulls Another WritedownIt would be the third impairment charge in three years on De Beers Group, which continues to grapple with a “challenging” diamond market.
IndependentsFeb 05, 2026
Borsheims to Undergo Massive Renovation in the Spring The Omaha jewelry store’s multi-million-dollar renovation is scheduled to begin in mid-May and take about six months.
CollectionsFeb 05, 2026
Marco Bicego’s Amethyst Collection Travels to a Purple ParadiseThe “Paradise Amethyst” collection focuses on amethyst, pink tourmaline, garnet, and 18-karat yellow gold beads.
FinancialsFeb 05, 2026
Watches of Switzerland Reports Strong Holiday Results in Q3The retailer credited its Roberto Coin campaign, in part, for boosting its North America sales.
