Some Amazon sellers are backdating books to fool Amazon's algorithms into changing where they appear, often allowing the sellers to charge exorbitant prices (David Streitfeld/New York Times)

David Streitfeld / New York Times:Some Amazon sellers are backdating books to fool Amazon's algorithms into changing where they appear, often allowing the sellers to charge exorbitant prices  —  A 2011 thriller was supposed to cost $15.  One merchant listed it at $987, with a 17th-century publication date.

Some Amazon sellers are backdating books to fool Amazon's algorithms into changing where they appear, often allowing the sellers to charge exorbitant prices (David Streitfeld/New York Times)

David Streitfeld / New York Times:
Some Amazon sellers are backdating books to fool Amazon's algorithms into changing where they appear, often allowing the sellers to charge exorbitant prices  —  A 2011 thriller was supposed to cost $15.  One merchant listed it at $987, with a 17th-century publication date.