How Amazon Sellers Can Keep Things Real When They're Surrounded by Fakes and Counterfeits Learn how to fight the Amazon fraudsters.

Q: I sell reflective wearables online and do good business on Amazon. But I'm constantly seeing new competitors -- all cheap knockoffs that, suspiciously, quickly collect tons of positive reviews. What's going on, and can I stop it? -- Tim G.

A: "Amazon" is a good name for Jeff Bezos' company. It's a sprawling site characterized by relentless change, furious competition and incredible diversity. It's also, as many sellers have discovered, a jungle.

Tim, you're getting it on two sides here, so let's start with the review problem. Reviews are critical for a seller. They put customers' minds at ease, drive sales and push products up in the search rankings, but they are hard to accumulate because only a tiny percentage of buyers leave them. Which means, this being the internet, reviews must be immediately corrupted.