Key takeaways
- Affiliate fraud causes a direct budget loss of 23% on average, according to TrackAd users.
- Cookie stuffing can be spotted by comparing the orders in your analytics solution with those in your affiliate platform.
- A bounce rate above 80%, abnormally high traffic and very low conversion are telltale signs of pop-under traffic.
- A new-visitor rate below 1% and tracking codes rewritten in under a minute give away a hidden toolbar.
- Fair deduplication analyzes the full conversion path, the priority of each touchpoint and click validity based on cookie lifetime.
In short
Five frauds undermine the ROI of affiliate programs: cookie stuffing, pop-under traffic, hidden toolbars, brand bidding and faulty deduplication. Each can be spotted through specific signals in your data, such as order discrepancies or abnormal bounce rates. The best strategy remains prevention, with an anti-fraud solution that analyzes conversion paths and triggers alerts.
Affiliate marketing is a highly effective way to drive sales, but it is also a prime target for fraudsters. Practices such as cookie stuffing, hidden toolbars, faulty deduplication, brand SEA (brand bidding) and pop-under traffic have become common problems. Ignoring fraud in your affiliate programs means risking:
- a direct loss of budget (23% on average, as observed by TrackAd users)
- a decline in campaign performance.
- a deterioration in the quality of your affiliate partners
In this article, we review the 5 most widespread types of affiliate fraud in 2024, with practical tips for identifying and eliminating them.
1. Cookie stuffing: the invisible enemy of your conversions
What is cookie stuffing?
Cookie stuffing means forcing third-party cookies onto a user’s browser without their consent. This lets the fraudulent affiliate claim credit for orders even though it played no part in the conversion path.
Why is it a problem?
It is one of the most widespread and hardest-to-detect frauds, because it is invisible to the user and can blend into your reports.
How to identify and prevent cookie stuffing
To spot it:
- compare your data: analyze the gaps between the orders recorded by your analytics solutions (Google Analytics, for example) and those recorded by your affiliate platform.
- look at the user journey: if the affiliate does not appear in the conversion path, fraud is highly likely.
To prevent it: adopt an anti-fraud solution that automatically detects fraudulent orders and lets you reject illegitimate commissions.
2. Pop-under traffic: the fake traffic trap
What is pop-under traffic?
Pop-unders are ad windows that open in the background when a user visits a website. This artificial, unsolicited traffic generates low-quality sessions with a very high bounce rate and a low conversion rate.
How to detect it
Watch for these signals:
- a bounce rate above 80%.
- abnormally high traffic volume.
- a very low conversion rate.
How to respond
- deactivate the affiliate in question immediately.
- cancel all of its orders for the current month.
- provide evidence to your affiliate platform, such as screenshots from your analytics solution.
To prevent it: automate pop-under traffic detection through KPI analysis. It is the ideal way to react quickly and protect your performance.
3. Hidden toolbars: an insidious fraud
What is a hidden toolbar?
Fraudulent toolbars are browser extensions or applications that intercept user sessions to rewrite tracking codes without the advertiser’s knowledge. This lets fraudsters hijack orders.
How to spot them
- A new-visitor rate below 1%.
- Suspicious user journeys: for example, conversions where tracking codes are rewritten less than a minute after the initial entry point.
How to ban them
- Deactivate the suspicious affiliate immediately.
- Send your platform screenshots of the conversion path.
- Install an anti-fraud solution that analyzes conversion paths and triggers alerts.
💡 TrackAd tip: TrackAd Affiliate’s anti-fraud features detect hidden toolbars by automatically analyzing abnormal delays in conversion paths.
4. Brand bidding: when your affiliates compete with your own traffic
What is brand bidding: when your affiliates compete with your own traffic
In this fraud, an affiliate buys keywords based on your brand to improperly capture your paid search and SEO traffic. The result: you pay a commission on sales you would have made anyway.
How to identify brand bidding
Keep an eye on these indicators:
- a conversion rate above the average of your paid search campaigns.
- time on site and pages viewed similar to those of your brand traffic.
💡 Avoid confusion: traffic from cashback sites can also show high conversion rates, but user behavior differs: those visitors spend less time on the site.
How to respond
- Deactivate the offending affiliate after verification.
- Run test searches to check for suspicious paid search campaigns.
- Use an anti-fraud solution to get alerts whenever abnormal behavior occurs.
5. Faulty deduplication: unfair to your affiliates
What is faulty deduplication?
This problem occurs when an affiliate present in the conversion path is not properly credited because of an inappropriate deduplication model (for example, post-click, or outside the cookie lifetime).
How to prevent it
- Use a solution that analyzes the entire conversion path and checks:
- The priority of each touchpoint.
- The validity of clicks based on the cookie lifetime.
TrackAd tip: by arbitrating commissions automatically, TrackAd Affiliate ensures every affiliate is paid fairly.
Affiliate fraud: prevention pays off
Affiliate fraud is not just a technical issue: it directly hits your ROI and the quality of your affiliate base. In 2024, the best strategy is still prevention, backed by a high-performing anti-fraud solution.
With tools like TrackAd Affiliate, you can:
- Detect suspicious behavior.
- Receive real-time alerts.
- Optimize your budget while improving campaign performance.
Don’t let fraud sabotage your efforts: take a proactive approach today. Discover TrackAd Affiliate
Affiliate fraud in 6 questions
What is cookie stuffing in affiliate marketing?
Cookie stuffing means forcing third-party cookies onto a user's browser without their consent. The fraudulent affiliate can then claim credit for orders even though it played no part in the conversion path. Because it is invisible to the user, this fraud easily blends into reports.
How should you respond to an affiliate generating pop-under traffic?
Deactivate the affiliate immediately and cancel all of its orders for the current month. Then provide evidence, such as screenshots from your analytics solution, to the affiliate platform.
What is a hidden toolbar in affiliate marketing?
Hidden toolbars are browser extensions or applications that intercept user sessions to rewrite tracking codes without the advertiser's knowledge, allowing fraudsters to hijack orders. If you suspect an affiliate, deactivate it, send screenshots of the conversion path to the platform and install an anti-fraud solution.
Why is brand bidding by an affiliate a problem?
The affiliate buys keywords based on your brand to improperly capture your paid search and SEO traffic. You then pay a commission on sales you would have made anyway. Running test searches lets you check for suspicious paid search campaigns.
How can you tell cashback traffic apart from brand bidding fraud?
Cashback site traffic can also show high conversion rates. However, its visitors spend less time on the site, whereas brand bidding traffic shows time on site and pages viewed similar to your own brand traffic.
What does TrackAd Affiliate do against affiliate fraud?
TrackAd Affiliate detects suspicious behavior and sends real-time alerts. It spots hidden toolbars by automatically analyzing abnormal delays in conversion paths. It also arbitrates commissions automatically so that every affiliate is paid fairly.
