eA Marketing - Glossary

affiliate fraud

Bogus activity generated by an affiliate in an attempt to generate illegitimate revenue.

Fradulent activity by affiliates comes in both automated and non-automated varieties. Automated scripts attempt to mimic the activity of legitimate, human visitors. Non-automated schemes may involve coordinated efforts by humans actively generating excess clicks or registrations.

After the fact, affiliate fraud can sometimes be spotted by checking activity logs for unusual patterns. Proactive protection may involve manually approving affiliate applications, although this minimization of fraud must be balanced against the risk of losing legitimate, productive affiliates who don't want to wait for approval.

Synonyms: associate fraud

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