One and a half years ago, an activist nonprofit group called Free and Fair Markets Initiative set out with the aim of taking Amazon (AMZN  ) down, describing itself as "a nonprofit watchdog committed to scrutinizing Amazon's harmful practices and promoting a fair, modern marketplace that works for all Americans."

However, what seemed like a grassroots movement pioneered by and for the people has turned out to be a shell organization funded primarily by Amazon's main competitors in order to fight the retail behemoth, simply putting up a veneer of being organic. This is known as 'AstroTurf lobbying.'

The organization cited support from a labor union, a Boston management professor and a California businessman as examples of its ties to the average person, but failed to mention that competitors Simon Property Group Inc. (SPG  ) , Walmart Inc. (WMT  ) and Oracle Corp (ORCL  ) had provided it with significant financial backing.

In response, Amazon declared: "The Free & Fair Markets Initiative appears to be little more than a well-oiled front group run by a high-priced public affairs firm and funded by self-interested parties with the sole objective of spreading misinformation about Amazon."

What's interesting is that all of these companies represent different industries that ultimately make up the Amazon empire, the very empire that gives it a dynamic and unique position in the market as a strongly diversified corporation: retail, food and grocery and tech.

"The bottom line is that FFMI is focusing on the substantive issues and putting a spotlight on the way companies like Amazon undermine the public good-something that media outlets, activists, and politicians in both parties are also doing with increasing frequency," said the Free and Fair Markets in a statement. "If Amazon can not take the heat then it should stay out of the kitchen."

FFMI is run by communications firm Marathon Strategies, which reportedly asked for $250,000 per company to fund the anti-Amazon campaign.

The issue however, is that this somewhat failed effort to curb Amazon's market share detracts from actual efforts by genuine nonprofits to do the same. There are growing concerns about Amazon's rising monopolistic power in the market the world over, and organizations like the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, have always opposed Amazon's tactics and ethics. In fact, community activism in places like New York city even led the behemoth to relocate its upcoming headquarters to Queens.