After reading and reading I still...

[dallasmisty]

don't quite understand this Scumware?

Are companies actually hacking my website? and changing affiliate ids?

Or is it other surfers who have downloaded a program like Kazaa and when they visit my website afterwards disables all links?

Hate to ask this but what can I say, its like reading another language.

Thank You,
dallasmisty

[VPJunkie]

:LOL: :LOL: Don't feel bad!!!

Here are some examples of scumware at work - www.VideoPokerJunkie.com/theft.htm (All these screenshots were taken from my site within a 2 hour period)

Yes, they steal our customers. You'll see in the screenshots that my visitor was clicking thru to a casino that I advertised, when a popup would appear OVER the casino site to attempt to whisk my customer away to another casino.

The casinos/groups that are using the predatory advertising (scumware) are buying traffic from companies like Gator and WhenU, and instructing the scumware companies to target gambling traffic - the traffic we work hard for, and pay, to get. The more visible your website is, the more likely it is to be a target.

[dallasmisty]

Oh, okay, I'm starting to see the light, BUT, how'd they do that?

Are they actually hacking "your" website? or gaining entry from the browser of the viewer? (customer)

[casinoglen]

When someone downloads this software, knowingly or otherwise, it "learns" the browsing habits of these people so to speak, then hits them with advertisements related to that.

[VPJunkie]

Yep - these are browser addons thru programs like Gator, Kazaa, Morpheus, HotBar, etc., that track and REPORT the users patterns thru spyware, then starts serving them the ads based on their usage and where they're going.

For instance, if the surfer goes to a travel site, then clicks thru on a link, the scumware will pop up an ad for *another* travel site; and it does the same thing in every industry.

[dallasmisty]

Thanks SlyCin and CasinoGlen,

NOW I understand