Fraud Alert: Accounts For Sale?
We’ve noticed a pretty alarming trend in the industry over the past few months here at MediaTrust – the concept of people “buying” affiliate accounts on our platform and other networks. At first glance I wondered why would you need to do that. It’s not like becoming an affiliate on our network requires any membership fee or some sort of inside connection. We do carefully vet affiliates to make sure they are legitimate, trustworthy and intend to operate their business dealings with us in good faith. If you pass that test, then you can become approved on our platform.
I suspect the people trying to purchase accounts know all this.
These are people trying to game the system and buy an account for nefarious purposes. Some have become so bold that they are posting their requests to Twitter. The request links go up and is seemingly taken down in 24-hour periods. The links in the Tweets drive users to an account bidding page.
We’ve even found people posting it to a freelance job board. Because they tend to put these listings up and down, I suspect to avoid detection, we took a screenshot in case that link mysteriously disappears.
So why should you care about this? Well, first off, if you’re a publisher, this is exactly the type of thing that gives our industry a bad name. It will cause networks to clamp down even tighter on who they accept – possibly excluding great potential affiliates in the process. If you’re a network, you should care because your credibility, and bottom line is at stake with your advertisers. Fraud is hard enough to police – now we have to worry about the buying and selling of affiliate accounts for the sole purpose of defrauding the networks and their advertisers?
We need to put a stop to this. We have to send a message that the buying and selling of accounts won’t be tolerated. If the supply dries up completely then there is nothing for these thieves to purchase. As networks, we need to make it crystal clear to our publishers that by accepting an account from us, they have a responsibility – ethically and legally – to use the account in the way it was intended and approved. Those that do sell their accounts should be prosecuted.
“We, as a network and industry, must strat openly exposing these fraud rings and activity” says MediaTrust CEO Peter Bordes. “It’s our responsibility to protect our legitimate advertiser and affiliate partners and industry. Our industry’s credibility is damaged by this activity, and we will not be able to grow and mature into a major marketing channel if we tolerate this activity.”
We’ve talked a hundred times on this blog about the difficult battle we fight for legitimacy and transparency. If we’re going to continue making progress on that front, we have to stop these types of activities.
22 Comments, Comment or Ping
Ryan Machara
Great post Peter! This has been going on for quite a while. Like you said we need to do whatever we can to put a stop to this blatant fraud. Count me & my network in.
Sep 21st, 2009
mediatrustpete
Fraud Alert: Affiliate Network Accounts For Sale? http://tinyurl.com/na8c28
please read and help stop this activity AND RT to expose this.
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Sep 21st, 2009
pmalliance
Fraud Alert: Affiliate Network Accounts For Sale? http://tinyurl.com/na8c28 RT and help stop this activity
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Sep 21st, 2009
Peter Bordes
Ryan thank you. i hope everyone with help expose this by blogging and twittering about it. we must all work together to shut this practice and the fraud issue once and for all. its not good for any and working networks, affiliates and advertisers. this hurts our industries credibility.
The best thing we can do is use social media to openly talk about is, share information and expose this …
Sep 21st, 2009
LashBackLLC
Be on the lookout for a new source of fraud in affiliate marketing: http://bit.ly/117UEs
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Sep 21st, 2009
mediatrust
Affiliate accounts for sale? How do we address this as an industry?: http://ping.fm/bwoZj
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Sep 21st, 2009
Ruben
Great Post
Sep 21st, 2009
Steve Howe
Hey Pete, Great post indeed. We have seen this practice going on now for well over a year. It seems that most networks, and affiliate managers at the respectable networks have been able to see through the typical “fraud/templated” website/ landing pages that come through the applications daily. I am sure this put a dent in the global operation. I actually caught a frauder and recorded a 40 minute plus conversation yet to be posted who was doing this very thing. The would be fraudster revealed that he could make a solid $500 / day getting applications approved in networks that simply did not give a shit. He went on to tell me that he had even had several account approved in a single day from the same affiliate manager.
I would have to admit that methods and tactics to penetrate the networks and have gone to a whole new level.
I have spoken with several people in the industry about the need for some sort of publisher verification. Similar to when signing up for an online bank account or similar.
I would be more than happy to share and discuss some of the techniques we have developed in house to deter these accounts from getting into our network. Feel free to hit me up on AIM or email.
Sep 21st, 2009
KSilv
Fraud Alert: Affiliate Network Accounts For Sale? #affiliate http://bit.ly/3GjW0l
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Sep 21st, 2009
Peter Bordes
Steve thank you and i would love to see that post and listen to that recording. let me know when its live. please place the link in this comment string so it gets out and we will tweet and push it out thru our social channels.
We have even seen the fraud groups be so bold as to going into forums and soliciting accounts from affiliate managers of all things. we are sick and tired of this activity as it hurts everyone including the consumer.. it has even caused us to have to remove any and all publishers from our platform who cannot fit our TRUSTED PARTNER criteria and we have been looking at going as far as a publisher hacving to be recommended to get join us. we must all be transparent and openly speak about this activity so we can work together to stop it.
love to speak my friend. thank you for taking the time to create that recording. lets get it out all over the place.
I would like to get the Performance Marketing Alliance to post about it!
i will ping you today
Sep 22nd, 2009
Mark Olsen
This is exactly what I have seen happen that has brought down entire networks. It is fraud at its worst!
This comment was originally posted on 5 Star Affiliate Marketing Blogs
Sep 22nd, 2009
Performance Marketing Alliance
Please make sure to Tweet, post and push into everyones social channels and forums. this is a very important effort we need everyone to participate in.
Sep 24th, 2009
peter bordes
PLEASE everyone Tweet, post, link to, get into your forums communities, facebook and social channels.
The best way to fight this is to expose it and openlt talk about these issues. this is where transparency is king and key. we must all work together to stop this behavior that hurts everyone in the industry and our industries reputation.
Linda thank you so much for posting this. i hope other will to and also share their stories and insights.
@MediaTrustpete
This comment was originally posted on 5 Star Affiliate Marketing Blogs
Sep 24th, 2009
pmalliance
Help Fight & Stop Fraud in the Affiliate Marketing Industry RT this post http://tinyurl.com/ydvb8p7 by @mediatrust #marketing
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Sep 24th, 2009
mekayhonez
Help Fight & Stop Fraud in the Affiliate Marketing Industry RT this post http://tinyurl.com/ydvb8p7 via @pmalliance @mediatrust #marketing
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Sep 24th, 2009
peter bordes @mediatrustpete
AC
thank you for spreading the word on fraud rings buying affiliate accounts.its a very important subject that we as an industry need to stop as it hurts our industry
This comment was originally posted on Affiliate Classroom Blog
Sep 26th, 2009
Realtor
Thank you for another great post.
I look forward to many more entries with high quality info.
I’m a marketer myself and your information always seems to get my business brain going!!
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Oct 6th, 2009
Realtor
Thank you for another great post.
I look forward to many more entries with high quality info.
I’m a marketer myself and your information always seems to get my business brain going!!
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Oct 9th, 2009
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