Ad fraud is a growing threat in affiliate marketing, and affiliate managers are at the forefront of preventing it, as we recently revealed in this month’s webinar Affiliate Fraud. How big a problem is ad fraud for your affiliate program? Are you aware that this is happening?
VPP, one of the oldest Yahoo Direct feeds, has experienced this firsthand in their program. They face significant challenges in identifying and reducing fraudulent ad traffic sent to their platform from various partners, which impacts their ability to scale operations and provide value to customers. This has had a knock-on effect on their business.
exist this case study Which Anura.io has shared, identifies the scale and impact ad fraud can have on your affiliate program, and describes how to best combat this growing, systemic influx of fraudulent traffic that you, too, may be unknowingly Pay for it.
Let’s break this scenario down into its parts and show where and how you can proactively eliminate ad fraud from partners you may be dealing with who buy ads and resell them to your affiliates Internet marketing plan.
Learn about affiliate marketing fraud and how to fight it
Fraudsters are constantly innovating their methods to exploit the weaknesses of search engine marketing. Still, it’s one of the most vulnerable channels in digital marketing and a popular channel used by affiliates to gain traffic. These fraudulent affiliates then convert their traffic sources to businesses and advertisers who inadvertently compensate them for traffic that is not a legitimate source.
Despite using traditional fraud detection solutions, VPP is unable to keep up with the evolving tactics of digital fraudsters. Bots, manual click farms and other fraudulent lead generation and performance marketing activities are infiltrating their traffic sources, increasing their business costs and reducing returns for the consumers they serve.
This situation leaves VPPs with a dilemma: continue operations and risk fraud, or slow down operations to limit fraud risk and pay only qualified customers. Many businesses worry about the impact of their growth statistics when talking about fraud, but we must consider a change in mindset to view fraud detection as a cost center that brings profit. To understand where and how you are being scammed, first understand where and how your affiliate marketers are buying or acquiring traffic.
Beyond this, having clear onboarding and KYC processes within your affiliate team can help eliminate the first signs of fraud, as you can understand partners before you allow them to promote or send fraudulent traffic to your site.
Why did they turn to Anura?
Anura stands out for its no-nonsense approach to fraud detection.
Unlike other solutions that use a “fraud scale” to assess suspicious traffic, Anura makes a clear distinction: traffic is either legitimate or not. This clarity gives VPPs confidence in the system and enables them to clearly identify the definition of fraud and how they wish to handle any incoming traffic.
As Nick Szabo, Director of Revenue Operations at VPP said: “If Anura tells me it’s bad, I can be sure it’s bad“.
Within the first month of introducing Anura to incoming traffic, Anura detected more fraudulent traffic on the VPP network than any other solution VPP had tested. This success is due not only to Anura’s powerful detection capabilities, but also to the platform’s adaptability. Anura integrates seamlessly with VPP’s in-house solutions, allowing for custom fixes and updates to detection algorithms, ensuring VPP stays ahead of new fraud threats.
Fraud detection It takes an experienced partner to manage it, not just a vendor to implement it
What really differentiates Anura from other VPP providers is the level of customer service that comes with the technology implemented on its platform. Fraud is not a one-size-fits-all service, it requires adjustment and a good understanding of what you want to allow and what you need to stamp out. Whether responding to algorithm update requests during the holidays or quickly responding to new fraud patterns, Anura’s team works closely with VPP as if they were an extension of the internal collection team. This close collaboration enables VPP to stop large-scale fraud incidents before they become a major issue in other areas of the downstream business, such as customer service or finance, impacting sales margins.
As Szabo points out, “They were very responsive and worked closely with us. It’s like having a boutique service, which is why Anura transitioned from a third-party vendor to a partner or even a member of our team.“
With Anura, VPP is no longer afraid of investing in large traffic volumes. The company can scale with confidence knowing that the fraud detection system protects them from bad traffic and unnecessary costs.
Why this matters to affiliate managers
For affiliate managers, this case study provides important insights. Fraud not only erodes profits; It also destroys trust between affiliates, networks and advertisers. In a world where performance and trust are paramount, ad fraud can undermine the integrity of entire campaigns, brands and relationships.
Affiliate managers need a solution that not only detects fraud, but also adapts to emerging threats, provides real-time insights, and is scalable. Anura’s solution provides exactly this, making it an important tool for affiliate programs that want to maintain transparency, trust, and profitability.
Additionally, Anura’s case study highlights the importance of fraud detection partnerships. In the alliance world, where success often depends on the accuracy of data and the reliability of partners, having a fraud detection system that works as an extension of your team can be a game-changer.
final thoughts
As affiliate marketing continues to evolve, so do the strategies of online fraudsters. We all need to be vigilant and remove this from our plans. The savings alone can be used toward new opportunities to expand sales or hire additional resources to grow the business faster.
VPP’s experience with Anura demonstrates the importance of advanced, adaptable fraud detection solutions. Anura not only helps VPPs prevent significant fraud, but also enables them to grow their businesses with confidence.
For affiliate managers, this case study is a reminder of the importance of investing in robust fraud detection tools and selecting partners that prioritize responsiveness and long-term engagement. Protecting your program from fraud is not just about reducing financial losses, it’s also about protecting your reputation and the integrity of the entire affiliate ecosystem.
Don’t ignore the threat of ad fraud. Solutions like Anura can help protect your program and ensure your traffic is clean, your affiliates are trustworthy, and your profits are secure.