Why would a site use someone elses affiliate links?

[Scampi]

An affiliate manager just got in touch with me asking if a site was mine because they are using my affiliate links. It's not actually my site, and is nothing to do with me. How would the site benefit from that?
I understand some sports subscription sites do it, but this was slots and has no subscription options.

This is also bad for compliance reasons, as the site is non-complaint.

Possibly a personal attack on my site? But I don't see how, and the text isn't mine, just the affiliate links.

[allfreechips]

Stole your content and just re-posted?

[PROFRBcom]

Perhaps they intend to get you in trouble for compliance. Perhaps they intend to send fraud traffic through your links and see if they can get you booted from affiliate programs? Perhaps they were digging through your site for ideas and somehow copied over your aff link and accidentally posted it? How many spots on their site are your aff links used? Multiple brands or just one brand?

[Sherlock]

Before, I would say bs, but this looks like intention. With the new stupid rules it is the easiest attack.

But I have seen my links on other sites even before: it was scraped content and also obviously some fans and webmaster-newbies who did not know or cared what is an affiliate cookie.

[Triple7]

First things that come to my mind:

- some forum of people looking for exclusive (no deposit) bonuses
- copy/paste content stealers and even too lazy to remove the aff link
- they want to bring you in compliance troubles with your partners.

I would inform the program about it.

[Vargoso]

Did you get in contact with the website in question? Any "Contact Us" section? Maybe better to do that before informing the affiliate program.

But, if you say only one affiliate link was being used, maybe just lazy people stealing some content (I know, you gotta be realllllyyyyy lazy for that). Or, not lazy but newbie, but, again, reallllyyy newbie.

Or maybe you have big enemies out there willing to pay domains, take the time to write text to hurt you? I sincerely hope not, but if you have your doubts, make a big research out there looking for some more bad publicity/websites with your link.

[Sherlock]

This compliance thing smells. Not just competition but the affiliate programs that want to get rid of us will realize soon they a simple have a way out.

The incredible things that are coming from Skybet and similar is on the other site tempting to buy them some cheap banners at hard porn sites along with their own tags and send it to Guardian and UKGC.

[AussieDave]

Previous to all the UKGC compliance rules, I'd have agree with others, that it quite possibly is a 'greenhorn' newbie who may have copied some of your content, and forget to edit the aff link.

However, with programs being so regimented (dotting i's, crossing t's) within the guise of the UKGC, I'd be more inclined to suggest someone is trying to get you busted.

Maybe conduct a G search on the most likely keyword search/phrase which would find this offending page. Other than that, it still might be someone who is trying to get you out of the picture, and into trouble or breach of your associated aff program.

These days nothing surprises me.
Seems some people will stoop to all manner of dodgy and unethical means to earn a buck, even if that means discrediting a fellow webmaster.

[allaboutthebets]

How did you find the link? We're you just browsing similar sites?

[Strider1973]

Scampi, would be interesting if you could answer the above questions. My guess is that they just copied your content without caring to change the aff links.

A few weeks ago, I experienced a similar thing. The AM contacted me for a site not being in-line with their requirements (risk warnings were missing).

The site didn't belong to me, but it was an exact copy of my site, including affiliate links and the logo, just hosted on a new domain.

I filed a DMCA complaint at Google and asked the webhosting company to remove the site.

One day later, Google asked me which links exactly were copyright infringements.

I checked back on the copied site, and saw that in the meantime, they had replaced my site with another scraped site.

Google then decided to remove the domain from the serps. I don't know what the webhosting company did, but the site is currently showing a cloudflare error.

When checking Analytics, I saw that my site had 25k visitors per day during those 1-2 days when it was copied (while on normal days I have maybe 50 or 100 visitors). So they also copied my Analytics code to the new domain.

My explanation is that they buy some kind of paid traffic and need a "legit" website around their landing page.

[a.harrison]

This can be also a method of CPA fraudsters. If you can't get deal from well-known brands, than you may pretend this way like you do work with them, to get good CPA deals from green AMs of small brands. Sounds as weird as stupid, but for another school kids looking for easy buck it's totally fine, as sometimes they simply put direct links.

[Scampi]

It looks like it is part scrapped content from an old blog post and they haven't bothered changing the affiliate links. My affiliate manager is the one who told me about it, asking if it was mine. I don't know how they'll discount clicks from the site (if there's any).
As Sherlock says, it would be an easy way to attempt to cause problems for either affiliates or casinos, even if this particular one is just lazy scrapping (still not sure).

With the new stupid rules it is the easiest attack

The Guardian despise capitalism and would be all over this kind of thing if it was more common.

This can be also a method of CPA fraudsters. If you can't get deal from well-known brands, than you may pretend this way like you do work with them, to get good CPA deals from green AMs of small brands

That sounds very feasible to be honest. I've read a few posts on here over the years from AMs saying they've sent flat-fees to a site only to be scammed.

How did you find the link? We're you just browsing similar sites?

My AM manager contacted me, the casino were doing compliance checks.

There's no contact page on the site. Hopefully it's just a one off and was a lazy accident.