Glossary
Fraud
Traffic or leads that are not what they claim: bots, incentive traffic sold as organic, fake leads, installs from farms, traffic from banned sources. The advertiser does not pay for it, and the affiliate who sent it is cut off.
Also called: ad fraud, affiliate fraud.
Fraud runs in both directions. Affiliates defraud advertisers with fake conversions and forbidden traffic; networks defraud affiliates by shaving leads; advertisers defraud everyone by not paying. The tracker is the affiliate's defence in all three.
Advertisers run anti-fraud on every lead: IP and device checks, duplicate detection, behaviour after the conversion. A source that produces leads nobody can reach is flagged within days.
Related terms: Fake engagement, Shaving, Trash lead, Cookie stuffing.