Table of contents

Introduction

The year 2026 kicked off with a big announcement: the largest marketplaces in the country simultaneously updated their anti-fraud systems. This is not just a cosmetic update. It's a comprehensive 'reset' of trust mechanisms that shape the rules of the game for every seller, integrator, and agency. What happened at Wildberries and Ozon, why has there been a wave of account blocks, what practices have come to an end, and how can you ensure steady sales and growth? We've gathered all the key facts, added analyses of the implications, and prepared clear steps to help you act confidently and within the rules. No panic, just a clear plan. Let’s go.

The Essence of the News

What exactly has changed? In early 2026, the marketplaces Wildberries and Ozon simultaneously enhanced their anti-fraud tools, focusing on three pain points in the ecosystem: seller multi-accounts, automatic product card parsing, and review manipulation. The updates are systematic.

  • Wildberries tightened verification, strengthening account ties to state identification services (including validation through state services), and expanded device fingerprinting upon login. This means the system matches devices, environments, and behavioral metrics more accurately, connecting them to a specific legal or individual entity.
  • Ozon updated rate-limiting for its API, making limits more contextual and dynamic, and implemented real-time ML models to detect abnormal traffic typical of aggressive parsing and activity inflation.
  • Both platforms announced enhanced detection of seller multi-accounts and improvements to algorithms recognizing artificial influence on ratings—from fake reviews to opaque schemes for boosting product cards.

The outcome: within the first weeks, a wave of blocks and temporary account restrictions is observed for those showing signs of rule violations or significant anomalies in their history.

Context

In recent years, marketplaces have evolved from mere storefronts to a full-fledged e-commerce infrastructure, circulating millions of customers, orders, and huge budgets. The larger the market, the greater the emphasis on trust and transparency. The events of 2024-2025 showed that anti-fraud mechanisms are not a static filter, but a living organism: new schemes for inflating ratings and parsing emerge, bot and proxy infrastructures adapt, and entire service ecosystems of gray tools form. The response from the marketplaces is logical: rules are toughened, verification deepens, and ML models learn faster. In 2026, we see not just targeted 'band-aids', but an architectural upgrade aimed at maintaining quality at a level critical for both buyers and honest sellers. A key trend is that algorithms increasingly analyze not just individual actions but patterns: the system is interested not only in 'what you do', but also 'how, from where, with which connections, and with what history'.

Details: What the Systems Specifically Do

Wildberries

  • Verification through state services. Tying to state services raises the entry threshold and reduces the area for 'masking'. This simplifies the comparison of accounts with real entities and complicates the creation of networks of managed accounts.
  • Enhanced device fingerprinting. The system analyzes device, browser, and network configurations with greater depth and matches this profile with previously observed sessions. Combined with behavioral metrics, this strengthens the detection of atypical logins and 'families' of accounts sharing common infrastructure.
  • Intensified fight against review manipulation. Improved models for establishing the authenticity of reviews and checking traffic sources help identify connected behaviors: unusual surges in reviews, disproportionate dynamics of ratings, and correlations with external incentives without confirmed real orders.

Ozon

  • Dynamic API rate-limiting. Request limits become contextual: they consider the profile of the developer or integrator, time windows, types of requested data, and signals of anomalies. This makes the strategy of 'spreading requests over time' less effective when disconnected from other factors.
  • ML analysis of abnormal traffic. Server- and perimeter-level models capture signatures of unnatural behavior: anomalous transition graphs, suspicious rates of reading product cards, identical patterns of request sequences, repeating retry schemes, etc.
  • General focus on multi-accounts. Signals are combined: overlaps by devices, networks, payment tools, as well as operations between accounts, movement of goods and reviews. The goal is to identify 'families' and precisely de-anonymize networks.

Both platforms have simultaneously intensified blocking and mitigating measures. Now, temporary suspensions with requests for documents, disabling certain features, as well as 'subtle' penalties are applied more often, such as limiting the visibility of cards in high-fraud-risk situations until clarification.

Who This Matters To and Why

This news impacts everyone building a business on marketplaces: brand owners, distributors, agencies, system integrators, app developers, market researchers, and BI teams. The tightening of rules is not a signal to 'panic', but a signal to restructure processes: from account architecture to CI/CD integrations with the API, from review management policies to logging and evidence requirements. Otherwise, you may face lost revenue, reputational risks, and obscure sanctions that are difficult and expensive to rectify post-factum.

Which Accounts Were Blocked and Why

According to reports from the seller community and partners, accounts were more frequently restricted when they exhibited the following combinations of risk factors:

  • Signs of multi-accounting: identical or similar devices and network environments for multiple accounts; overlapping payment details; related logistics behaviors, mutual transfers of goods, etc.
  • Opaque review practices: surges of positive reviews without confirmed orders; abnormal tonal patterns within short timeframes; correlations of reviews with external motivating actions non-compliant with platform rules.
  • Aggressive technical traffic: unnatural sequences of requests to product cards, repeated signatures of inquiries at a high frequency, attempts to bypass API limits.
  • Non-compliance with verification requirements: incomplete or invalid identification, discrepancies in documents, issues with confirming identity or ownership rights.

It's important: each situation is examined individually by the platforms. If you're confident you acted in good faith, prepare clear documentation, logs, and a coherent case for appeal. The better the data is organized, the higher the chance of prompt unblocking.

What is No Longer Safe

The market has gotten used to the idea that 'a little' is permissible. But the new anti-fraud tools effectively close off loopholes that were previously seen as 'gray yet workable'. In 2026, this will no longer be even conditionally safe:

  • Multi-accounts without clear legal basis. Any attempts to manage a network of accounts without formal ties to legal relations and without your own compliance processes carry a high risk.
  • Aggressive product card parsing, mass inquiries without official integrations and agreements with the platform — are risky. Algorithms recognize patterns and look not only at volume but also at the nature of sequences.
  • Review manipulation — buying reviews, 'networks' for inflating ratings, opaque 'incentives' for reviews without real orders.
  • Identical infrastructure for different accounts: shared devices and browser environments, repeating fingerprints, 'integrated' workplaces and proxy pools — all increase the likelihood of detecting connections.

We intentionally do not provide instructions for circumventing anti-fraud measures. Discussing and disseminating practices that evade platform rules is not only ethically questionable but also directly contradicts user agreements and can lead to sanctions. Instead, we propose legal and sustainable strategies that strengthen business.

Legal Strategies for Adaptation: How to Act Correctly

1. Transparent Account Architecture

  • One business — one account, unless otherwise specified in the platform's rules (for example, for different legal entities, brands, or regional divisions with formally separate accounting). Document the legal basis for each account.
  • Unified onboarding and verification standards: a centralized list of documents, responsible individuals, data update regulations, and monitoring of expiration dates.
  • Action logging and role matrix: who does what and when in personal accounts; delineate rights and, if possible, utilize SSO and corporate MDM policies for work devices.

2. Ethical Reviews and Reputation Management

  • Collect reviews honestly: transactional emails, post-delivery surveys, loyalty programs within the rules.
  • Respond to negative feedback quickly and respectfully; transform emotional cases into constructive ones, document solutions and SLAs.
  • Sentiment analytics: track themes of dissatisfaction and eliminate root causes (quality, packaging, timelines, descriptions).

3. Working with Data Through Official Channels

  • Use official APIs, SDKs, and dashboards—considering established limits. Plan integrations based on real constraints, implementing queues, caching, and backoff.
  • Build your own showcase and catalog: if you need data about your products, structure collection within the rules, with clear identification and logging. For competitive analytics, use authorized aggregated sources, market research, and partner services that operate within the legal framework.

4. Teams and Processes

  • Train employees on marketplace rules, security standards, and digital hygiene: personal devices, corporate profiles, access control.
  • Internal audits quarterly: checking account and integration compliance with platform policies, testing incidents 'as if a verification request occurred'.
  • Communication plan in case of blocking: contact list, document packet, API logs, operation statements, SKU history.

Solutions and Benefits for Different Roles

For Brand Owners and E-commerce Directors

  • Value: reduced regulatory risks, resilience in sales channels, transparent processes.
  • What to Do: approve a compliance policy for marketplaces, appoint responsible individuals, implement quarterly audits and KPIs for confirmed review shares, response speed, and quality of product cards.

For Agencies and Integrators

  • Value: predictable projects, trust from clients and platforms, minimization of blocks.
  • What to Do: switch to official integration paths, implement limit management, ensure client separation at the level of credentials, logs, and infrastructure. Transparent SLA for security.

For Developers and BI Teams

  • Value: reliable data showcases, absence of 'gaps' and races with limits, reproducibility of analytics.
  • What to Do: document architectural principles—queues, caching, exponential backoff, idempotency, API throughput monitoring. Apply data cataloging, manage schemas and versions.

For Operations Teams

  • Value: fewer incidents, clear regulations, predictable cabinet operation.
  • What to Do: establish checklists for system entry and exit, device regulations, standards for naming and storing documents for quick verification.

Comparison: How It Was and How It Is Now

  • Previously: anti-fraud rules were already operational, but 'gray' approaches (disparate accounts, informal methods of acquiring reviews, mass technical requests) sometimes flew under the radar. API limits were more predictable, and verification was less comprehensive.
  • Now: behavioral models and expanded device fingerprints, deepened identity verification, dynamic limits, cross-correlation of signals. 'Just slowing down' or 'spreading the load' no longer resolves. At the center is a holistic view of security and compliance.

Practical Tips: What to Do Today

  1. Conduct a quick audit of accounts: legal grounds, documents, roles, action history, team and device overlaps. The goal is to identify possible risk triggers.
  2. Develop a review management policy: honest mechanics, response scenarios, SLAs, operator training.
  3. Check integrations: are you using official APIs; is there limit management; are you logging requests and responses; are there backoffs and caching in place?
  4. Separate environments: prod, stage, dev; document service accounts and do not use them for operational tasks.
  5. Prepare a 'verification folder': statutory documents, powers of attorney, contact details of responsible individuals, confirmations of brand rights, scans and statements—all in one secure location with access control.
  6. Set up risk monitoring: alerts for API errors, failure metrics, surges in reviews, atypical activity patterns. Produce weekly reports.

And most importantly—don’t look for workarounds. Building a sustainable business is easier when you don't hide from the rules but use them as a guide for quality and maturity.

FAQ: Quick Answers to Key Questions

1. Why are accounts blocked?

Most often due to signs of multi-accounting, aggressive or abnormal traffic, review manipulation, or issues with identity verification and ownership rights. Sanctions can be temporary or long-term, depending on the case.

2. Is simply reducing the frequency of API requests enough to avoid limits?

Not enough. Limits have become dynamic and contextual. It's crucial to work officially, design queues, caching, backoff, and adhere to usage rules. Frequency is just one of the variables.

3. Do VPNs and unusual networks impact risk?

Any atypical network patterns can become an additional risk factor, especially in the absence of a transparent history and verified validation. Use permitted corporate practices and standardize environments.

4. What to do if an account is blocked?

Gather a document package, export logs, operation history, contacts of responsible parties, and file an appeal through official channels. Detailed and clear data increases the chance of quick recovery.

5. Is it legal to collect market data?

Yes. Use official APIs, open directories, aggregated market research, and partner solutions that operate within the legal framework. Follow licensing requirements and platform rules.

6. How to minimize false anti-fraud triggers?

Unified verification standards, clean operational history, controlled environments, clear roles and logs, plus correct API usage. The more transparent the processes, the fewer questions from the platforms.

7. Is it sensible to maintain several accounts for different product lines?

Only when there are formal grounds that comply with platform rules and with full transparency. Otherwise, the risk outweighs the potential benefits.

Forecast for 2026: The Future of Anti-Fraud Systems

We anticipate further evolution in three areas.

  • Behavioral analytics will deepen further: graph models will build connections between events, devices, sessions, and entities, identifying atypical patterns even amid attempts at 'masking'.
  • Proactive measures instead of reactive ones: platforms will more frequently alert risks before blocking, request documents in advance, and offer 'paths to correction' when they see not malicious intent but careless processes.
  • Standardization and verification will strengthen: more integration with state and banking services, unification of document formats, and automated validity checks.

For honest sellers, this means more order and predictability. For gray practices, it means a tightening of maneuvering space. The best time to restructure processes is now.

How We Help: Compliance, Audits, and Resilience

Our team specializes in ensuring you sell with peace of mind. We do not offer workarounds or 'gray' tools—we build legal, scalable processes.

  • Account and integration audits: we identify risk points regarding verification, roles, logs, environments, and APIs. We will create a roadmap for corrections.
  • Data process settings: queues, caching, backoff, monitoring, alerts. We reduce the likelihood of abnormal traffic and access losses.
  • Review policies: we train teams, develop scenarios, implement quality metrics so that reputation grows honestly and sustainably.
  • Document flow and 'verification folder': we standardize document sets, update timelines, and control access.

The result—less stress and more focus on product, assortment, and service for buyers.

Call to Action

Right now, your sales channel's sustainability is at stake. Don't delay. Conduct a quick audit, update processes, and protect your business from unexpected shutdowns. Subscribe to our blog to be the first to receive breakdowns of updates from Wildberries and Ozon, checklists, and practical guides for legal and effective operations on marketplaces. Want to accelerate? Leave a request for a compliance audit—we'll help you set everything up 'the right way' within this quarter.