• Best CPA Networks
  • Best Cost-Per-Sale Affiliate Networks
  • Best Pay-Per-Call Networks
  • mThink Digital
  • Thought Leadership
    • White Papers
  • About
    • Content Marketing
    • Content Strategy
      • Web Content
      • Social Media Strategy
      • Webinars & Video
      • Thought Leadership
    • Performance Marketing
    • Portfolio
      • Revenue Performance
      • Accenture
      • Microsoft
      • Java Detour
      • Our Process
    • Contact Us

mThink

Blue Book Logo

BlueBook Logo

The Trusted Name in Performance Marketing

ROS Leaderboard

  • Home
  • Blue Book
    • About Blue Book
    • Blue Ribbon Panel
    • Interviews
    • Research Methodology
    • Back Issues
    • Advertising
      • Website Creative Specifications
      • Newsletter Creative Specifications
  • Best CPA Networks
  • Best Cost-Per-Sale Affiliate Networks
  • Best Pay-Per-Call Networks
  • Best European CPA Networks
  • Best CPA Networks for Affiliates
  • Best CPA Networks for Advertisers

Klein Online (& Out-of-Line): Kick Fraud Out!

July 27, 2011 by Peter Klein

The mThink/Revenue Performance team were kind enough to offer me an outlet for my opinionated self and perhaps also provide a nugget or two of value.  Those who know me understand that I am rarely bashful or quiet, but that said, allow me to bring to you Klein Online.

I’d like to throw some thoughts out there on fraud.

What’s the biggest single threat to us these days?  Al Qaeda?  Libya?  Cuba?  Illegal immigrants?   Nope.
It’s the fraud that is running rampant in the online marketing industry.  There are several causes: there’s a really low barrier to entry for new networks; compliance isn’t as strong as it needs to be;  and perhaps the biggest problem of all is the activities of foreign fraud cells.

These days absolutely anyone can start up a network and begin brokering offers.  In fact, I’m pretty sure my mom could start an affiliate network tomorrow, and it took her four months to hook up her new plug-and-play Dell desktop PC.  This is a problem in itself, but it has a knock-on effect in that the majority of smaller networks offer little added value.

Much of the time they have poor compliance and broker deals that are so far removed from the original source it is impossible to track down the poor quality traffic. So pass along deals at your own risk. but make sure that you treat them the same way as you would as the originating source.

Foreign fraud is an even worse problem.  Fraudsters in India and China have actually begun paying Americans to pose as affiliates. These fraudulent applicants can sound great and well-versed on the phone – only for fraud to start pouring in once their applications are approved (see: Trojan Horse).

Often, we find that fraudulent applicants use false documentation when we ask for references. One favorite is the collegiate special of a fake ID.  Check out this license from a gentleman by the name of Mark Smiley – who resides in the State of South Carlonia.

mark smiley carlonia

I’ve visited most of the 50 states, from New York to California, Vermont to Florida, and Texas to South Dakota – but somehow I missed the state of South Carlonia in my 30-something years of domestic travel.

For all of us interested in the future of the industry, the only way to end these problems and stop wasting our precious resources is to go to the root of the problem and eliminate unsolicited applications.

Keep the garbage out!
Oh, and by the way, I categorically deny that I have ever taken performance marketing enhancing drugs. 🙂

Related posts:

  1. Forget Cool: Design Your Homepage to Convert Homepages often have multiple objectives. Everyone in your organization wants...
  2. What are You “Converting” on Your Website? Conversion actions are measurable events that move a website visitor...
  3. Usability Basics for Landing Page Optimization If a visitor cannot find something on your landing page,...
  4. Will Fraud Kill Affiliate Marketing? Will fraud kill affiliate marketing? It is up to you....

Filed Under: Columnists, Revenue Tagged With: Click Fraud, Columnists, Fraud, Industry Trends

Search

ROS Col 2 Top

ROS Col 2 Mid

ROS Col 2 Low

Subscribe to our newsletter!

* indicates required

ROS Col 2 – 4 Misc

ROS Col 2 – 5 Misc

ROS Col 2 – 6 Misc

Recent Posts

  • Top 4 Best Practices For Consumer Finance Campaigns
  • Four Moments That Changed Performance Marketing Forever
  • New additions, improvements, and added perks from your favorite CPA network
  • Your Top 5 Affiliate Marketing Questions Answered
  • 5 strategies to create better content
  • FCC Says Ringless Voicemails Require Prior Consent
  • Top 5 Free Methods to Increase Affiliate Traffic
  •  3 Top Lead Generation Best Practices To Scale Your Business
  • Automation, Conversions, Profitability, Oh My – Breaking Affiliate Campaign Roadblocks
  • 5 tips for a better brand image
  • How Mac of All Trades Found Multi-Channel Success
  • Winning In A Changing World: An Interview with Taras Kiseliuk, CEO of ClickDealer
  • Survey: What Consumers Want from Financial Services Providers
  • The influencer marketing era: what does the future of web marketing hold?
  • Top 5 Ways To Leverage CPA Campaigns During The Holiday Shopping Season

About mThink

mThink is a specialist digital marketing company based in San Francisco. We focus on media buying, Facebook marketing, direct response, social and mobile. In addition mThink produces the annual Blue Book Rankings of major performance marketing networks. Read More »

Baseboard

Copyright ©2023 · mThink. All rights reserved.
3053 Fillmore Street, Suite 325 | (415) 787-0250
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy