This is really disturbing!

[AussieDave]

I open the new posts section and what grabs my attention, is five (5) of the nine (9) new posts are all related to site hackings. All concerning multiple affiliate programs. Seriously, is this the sort of industry we all support? One which encourages criminals and looks the other way when their pockets are filled up from the proceeds of hacked sites

More and more affiliate programs seem be involved here. Are these discussion working, No!

Is it time we acted and started blacklisting any program who supports hackers? Yes!

 

[Guard Dog]

yeah, it's a bit sad. But we also have to realize that controversy is typically responded to more than the 'good' posts So - I could post 10 good posts right now and I would bet by tomorrow the stuff that rises back to the top is what you see above.

Now - with that said... those programs need to STOP the hacking. It WILL sink them. Maybe in a way that bankrupts the lot of them if we are lucky.

 

[AussieDave]

those programs need to STOP the hacking. It WILL sink them. Maybe in a way that bankrupts the lot of them if we are lucky.

My views are, you can't stop anyone doing what they want.

However when their plan involves hurting the innocent; in these hacking cases innocent business owners are being hurt, imho we as a community, have a responsibility to ensure programs promoted or engaged on affiliate forums are not supporting criminal activities. Any program who is should be shunned, excluded and blacklisted.

 

[Bonus Paradise]

The thing is, if this continues this is really bad for all of us,
Read what I just found ....... webmasterworld.com/google/4710130.htm

 

[LandofOz]

I checked out the webmasterworld url and found a link to xhttps://www.stopbadware.org/report-badware

I've bookmarked it for future reference.

 

[falseadoom]

One thing I do have to say after looking at tons of these Hacked sites, Rewards was no where to be found and seems to be just a couple selected Microgaming programs (buffalo partners, fortune) Ones I use to have the highest respect for (referback and fortune)

Fortune did say the affiliate account was closed (possible as they could be old pages since not to many) Spin Palace is a different story they are to exposed to not be still working with them

 

[edgarf76]

How is this bad for affiliates if you are not the one hacking?

 

[AussieDave]

How is this bad for affiliates if you are not the one hacking?

These hacked pages are using brand names such as:

• 32red-online-casino.html
• spin-city-pokies.html
• betat-online-casino.html

1000's of similar pages like these are being placed on hacked sites.

Affiliates who promote these brands legitimately are losing SERPS to these hacked sites. Instead of the legit affiliates getting these players, the hacked sites are. Do the math on that!
Add in scrapped content and and it's a recipe for legitimate, hard working affiliates to lose out big time.

Then there are the sites getting hacked. These sites will eventually be flagged by Google and as a result, may lose their rankings or worse, get dropped from the index. These people have done nothing wrong but due to these selfish hackers, their sites; their income, could be jeopardized.

 

[AussieDave]

The thing is, if this continues this is really bad for all of us,
Read what I just found ....... webmasterworld.com/google/4710130.htm

I checked out the webmasterworld url and found a link to xhttps://www.stopbadware.org/report-badware

Now we have somewhere to report these hackings. My suggestion, we request AGD to commenced a closed forum. This way we can all submit complaints about the same hacked site. The more complaints, I dare say the more chance we have of getting these hacked sites cleaned up. And even possibly the hackers brought to justice.

 

[falseadoom]

The reason the hacked site are bad.
It is illegal
Is bad overall for the industry
Their contents on this hacked sites are all scraped from other sites "LIKE MINE" 1 line at a time. Which does cause duplicate content penalities. So there you have copyright infringement.

The programs should be spliting all income from these clowns with all the webmasters that are getting scraped

 

[AussieDave]

The programs should be spliting all income from these clowns with all the webmasters that are getting scraped

Instead, the programs "claim" to close the offending account and pocket the cash themselves

Any and all money gained from hacked sites, SHOULD be placed into a 3'rd party TRUST account. An account which is 100% transparent. If it turns out, to be too hard to distribute these funds to affected site owners, then the entire amount of cash is donated to charity.

Who ever has been setting up these hacked sites, will have been making a small fortune. I could easily imagine their commission to be in 6 figures each month.

 

[casinonewbie]

These programs who reap the hacked traffic are ripping off -

• all affiliates that promote their brands
  
• the site owners they hack
• the sites they scrape for content
  
• legit casinos & programs that spend millions each year with Google advertising
• programs that do the right thing
  
• & best of all Google - why spend money with Google advertising when you can hack sites & get free traffic

Can any of the casinos that spend a shit load of money with Google have a little chat with there G account manager & ask them get someone to press the special de-index button on all Buffalo (Wagershare) Partners, Aff Europe & Affactive casinos, problem solved - have i missed someone?

 

[edgarf76]

These hacked pages are using brand names such as:

• 32red-online-casino.html
• spin-city-pokies.html
• betat-online-casino.html

1000's of similar pages like these are being placed on hacked sites.

Affiliates who promote these brands legitimately are losing SERPS to these hacked sites. Instead of the legit affiliates getting these players, the hacked sites are. Do the math on that!
Add in scrapped content and and it's a recipe for legitimate, hard working affiliates to lose out big time.

Then there are the sites getting hacked. These sites will eventually be flagged by Google and as a result, may lose their rankings or worse, get dropped from the index. These people have done nothing wrong but due to these selfish hackers, their sites; their income, could be jeopardized.

I know but this has been going on forever unfortunately. Google will eventually catch up with them. It frustrates me when I look at the serps all the time, but I make sure my focus is on building good quality sites that people actually want to read (the best i can). It will take a long time to report all of these sites to dmca, google, and other sites like that. The bad thing is that it takes up time for good affiliates from working on their own sites, which IMO is what black hat seo's are counting on. Thats my two cents, I was a bit kurt in my reply "How is this bad for affiliates if you are not the one hacking?", which did not come off the way I wanted it too. My purpose is to focus on managing and building.

 

[Guard Dog]

Now we have somewhere to report these hackings. My suggestion, we request AGD to commenced a closed forum. This way we can all submit complaints about the same hacked site. The more complaints, I dare say the more chance we have of getting these hacked sites cleaned up. And even possibly the hackers brought to justice.

I am not quite sure what you mean by a closed forum? Let me know, i'm happy to do anything that helps

 

[falseadoom]

So there is a place to submit these hacked sites. (might have neg effect on the casinos) but we must start doing something to protect our own sites. It is endorsed/supported/sponsored by Google

https://www.stopbadware.org/report-badware

Sorry missed the above post

 

[edgarf76]

I am not quite sure what you mean by a closed forum? Let me know, i'm happy to do anything that helps

I think he means a private section for affiliates to talk. A section where affiliate managers can't see and doesn't get indexed, like on the gpwa. I second that if that is what he is talking about.

 

[falseadoom]

Just when you think it is bad enough you find out that these hackers have also stolden site images on custom designs header area and put them on google+ as head area..

So be on the look out for your sites images on google+ possible other places

 

[casinonewbie]

I checked out the webmasterworld url and found a link to xhttps://www.stopbadware.org/report-badware

I've bookmarked it for future reference.

I have also started the reporting if we all do it something will start to get flagged......

 

[AussieDave]

I am not quite sure what you mean by a closed forum? Let me know, i'm happy to do anything that helps

I think he means a private section for affiliates to talk. A section where affiliate managers can't see and doesn't get indexed, like on the gpwa.

Yep that's what I meant

Could you set something like this up please AGD. Where AGD members can talk in private?

I'm sure if we could have a section like that, more affiliates might feel more inclined to post information. I personally don't care I'll post where ever BUT in fairness I know some affiliates wont post because they don't like confrontation or to upset a program or their AM.

In so far as this "hacking" stuff, we need a forum where it's not indexed and is not accessible by non AGD members. Maybe even place a minimum post quota to gain access. This would prevent even the hackers finding out what we are up to...

 

[CasinoKev]

I like the private forum idea to discuss these issues.

Thanks for that link landofoz! I'm jumping on that now