Affiliate marketing Affiliate Scams – Cookie stuffing
Cookie stuffing is a popular form of fraud that is primarily known to people running affiliate campaigns. These types of frauds are inextricably linked to cookies, i.e. small pieces of code that a website leaves in the user’s browser to collect data about logins, preferences, etc. In general, the person on whose device cookies are saved is informed about it, and the websites provide a cookie policy. Cookies make it possible to remember users’ passwords to given programs or to display preferential advertisements to them, and in the case of affiliation, additionally to “target” publishers who are entitled to a commission on the generated conversion or sales. However, affiliate marketing is not free from unethical practices. Cookie stuffing can even be punishable by jail time. On the other hand, a trusted affiliate agency will help you carry out effective activities.
Cookie stuffing… How does it work?
Cookie stuffing is the process of placing additional third-party cookies on a website visitor to a website, which are not related to that website. In this case, the user is not aware that they have been stored in his browser in his web browser. This type of fraudulent manipulation of cookies is designed to generate fake income and, in some cases, to hide genuine, legitimate files. Additionally, there are various techniques for using cookie stuffing. Image cookie stuffing is the addition of an image. The scammer adds an HTML image tag and creates an image that points to an affiliate link. When an attempt is made to open a page with a hidden image, the user’s browser tries to load the image, but instead opens the specified link and stores a fake cookie. In the iFrame method, you create a simple, 1-pixel iFrame, an invisible element containing an affiliate link. When a user loads a website, their browser loads an affiliate link. Banner ads and WordPress plugins are also used. Therefore, it is worth defending yourself against unfair practices. Onaffiliate agency comes to the aid of all people who want to start their adventure with this type of marketing. Onaffiliate provides comprehensive knowledge and tools.
Cookie stuffing for the affiliate
Affiliates in charge of a particular affiliate program place tracking cookies on users’ devices (even if they have not interacted with the affiliate’s content). When a victim of a scam makes a purchase of a product, the sale can be wrongly attributed to the fraudster, even though the fraudster has never tried to persuade that particular internet user to make the purchase. Such cookies often overwrite those that are stored correctly, so that the person charging the commission fraudulently can deprive the honest publisher of it. This action is therefore simply theft and fraud against the advertiser and other publishers. When affiliating, it is worth working with an entity such as a good affiliate agency. It has an extensive database of publishers who are verified on an ongoing basis. They know how to optimize their operations to achieve the best results, and they have the tools to detect unfair practices. Onaffiliate is one of these agencies. Her specialties are, m.in, affiliate campaigns.
Cookie stuffing for the advertiser
It is the advertisers who lose the most as a result of the use of cookie stuffing by publishers. A fraudster who places cookies on users’ devices earns money from every sale made on a given site. Hence, it extorts an unfair commission from the advertiser. The advertiser is thus robbed and suffers financial losses. Even if a specific sale were to happen anyway, most often the commission would be due to another, honest publisher. An advertiser who detects fraud may hold the affiliate partner legally liable. They should keep a close eye on the top-performing affiliates in particular and look for any suspicious activity, establish a clear cookie policy, and use professional tracking tools. Affiliate marketing will be safe if both parties are honest. Onaffiliate will help them work with them.
Recognizing cookie stuffing
Fortunately, many cookie stuffing scams are easy to spot. To check if a website is safe, you can delete all cookies from your browser, visit the suspicious website, and then see what cookies have been set on your device. Another way is to check the source code and verify that the available images are not a hidden affiliate link. Affiliate networks and affiliate programs should keep an eye out for publishers who convert despite a significantly reduced bid. Also noteworthy are empty or strange referrer headers, long delays between clicks and purchases, manipulated statistics or the appearance of click cookies when the click did not take place. There are professional tools to detect fraud. They can monitor user behavior and quickly detect suspicious activity. Therefore, it is best to combine independent observation of affiliates’ activities with the possibilities of modern technologies. Dishonest publishers should be blocked and reported. You should regularly investigate the traffic generation methods used by the most cost-effective partners. It is worth remembering that acting in a dishonest way has a negative impact on the entire industry and its reputation. It is precisely this type of fraud that contributes to the perception of it as untrusted.
Cookie stuffing is one of the most popular affiliate scams. The practice used by a dishonest publisher is highly unethical, working to the detriment of the advertiser and other publishers. This is a way to get commissions unfairly. Nowadays, there are various methods of counteracting “cookie stuffing”, but a slight loss of vigilance could have unpleasant consequences. That’s why it’s a good idea to monitor the behavior of affiliates on an ongoing basis and use the available tools to do so.
