Amazon Printing Scams: Is Someone Selling Fake Copies of Your Book?

Imagine a reader buys your paperback on Amazon. They receive a book with blurry text, pages falling out, and a cover that looks like it was printed on a home inkjet.

They don’t blame the seller. They blame you.

They leave a 1-star review: “Terrible quality. Don’t buy.” Meanwhile, you verify your sales dashboard and see… zero sales for that day.

You’ve just been hit by the Amazon Printing Scam.

How the Scam Works

This scam exploits Amazon’s “Third-Party Seller” system.

The Hijack: A third-party seller (often with a random name like “BookDealsX” or “FastReadz”) lists your book as “New” on your own Amazon product page.
The Undercut: They price it slightly lower than your official Amazon KDP price, or they win the “Buy Box” (the main “Add to Cart” button) through algorithmic tricks.
The Counterfeit: When a customer orders, the scammer doesn’t buy a copy from you. Instead, they print a counterfeit copy themselves using a cheap digital press, or they order a “proof” copy from a different account if they have access to your files (rare but possible).
The Result: The customer gets a low-quality fake. The scammer keeps the money. You get $0 royalties and a bad review.

Why Is This Happening?

Amazon allows legitimate reselling. If someone buys your book and wants to resell it, that’s legal.

However, these scammers are selling “New” copies they never purchased from you. They are manufacturing unauthorized copies on demand. Because Amazon’s warehouse system often “commingles” inventory, even if a seller sends their stock to Amazon FBA, it might get mixed with legitimate copies.

How to Spot a Fake Seller

You can’t monitor your book 24/7, but watch for these red flags:

1. The “Sold By” Line

Go to your book’s Amazon page. Look at the “Buy Now” box.

Normal: “Ships from Amazon.com. Sold by Amazon.com.” (For KDP books).
Suspicious: “Ships from [Seller Name]. Sold by [Seller Name].”

If a third party has the Buy Box for a “New” copy, investigate immediately.

2. Unexpected Price Drops

If your book is priced at $14.99, but you see it selling for $12.50 by a third party—and you didn’t authorize a sale—be suspicious. Scammers often undercut by a few dollars to win the sale.

3. Reviews Complaining of Quality

Reviews saying “pages are thin,” “ink is smeared,” or “cover is pixelated” are huge warning signs. KDP’s print quality is generally standard. If readers are seeing trash, they are likely receiving counterfeits.

What to Do If You Are Targeted

If you find a scammer selling your book, don’t panic. Take action.

Step 1: Prove It ( The Test Buy)

You need proof. Buy a copy from the suspicious seller.

Do not use your author account if possible (or just do it, speed matters).
When it arrives, document everything: photos of the bad quality, the packaging, and the lack of proper KDP barcodes/branding on the last page.

Step 2: Report to Amazon

Go to Amazon’s Report Infringement page.

Select “Copyright Infringement”.
Provide your ASIN and the Order ID of the fake book.
Upload your photos proving it is a counterfeit (e.g., binding differences, paper quality).
State clearly: “This seller is manufacturing and selling unauthorized reproductions of my copyrighted work. This is not a resold legitimate copy; it is a counterfeit.”

Step 3: Protect Your Brand

While waiting for Amazon to act (which can take days or weeks), reply to any negative reviews.

Polite & Professional: “I’m so sorry you received a defective copy. It appears you may have purchased a counterfeit from an unauthorized third-party seller. Please return it to Amazon as ‘defective’ and ensure you purchase the copy ‘Sold by Amazon.com’ to get the correct quality.”

Summary

The Amazon Printing Scam is a double-whammy: it steals your income and ruins your reputation. Check your book listings regularly. If you lose the “Buy Box,” investigate immediately. Your vigilance is the only defense until Amazon tightens its third-party seller policies.