Amazon Says Fake Sites Impersonate Its Self-Publishing Tools

Amazon.com Inc. has sued what it calls a ring of entities that are allegedly using websites to trick authors into thinking they are buying Amazon’s self-publishing services.

Amazon says at least ten individuals and eight entities in the US and Pakistan “operate a scam that preys on authors and induces them to purchase fraudulent services,” according to its complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Monday.

The defendants allegedly say they’re affiliated with Amazon, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, and Amazon Publishing to get authors to spend thousands of dollars on services. Kindle Direct ...