This article covers Awin’s fraud prevention measures, including proactive monitoring, payment reviews, traffic analysis, and third-party tools to ensure network security and compliance.
Overview
At Awin, we are committed to maintaining the highest level of security and compliance within our network. Our dedicated Partner Compliance Team consists of 15 experienced specialists across multiple markets, focused exclusively on fraud prevention and detection. This allows us to proactively monitor network activities and provide advertisers with the highest level of protection and support.
With years of experience, our team has built an extensive internal database documenting compliance breaches, currently covering over 55,000 partner accounts. This enables us to identify potential risks swiftly and take appropriate action. Our goal is to ensure that your affiliate program operates with the highest level of quality and security.
Through proactive measures, we can detect potential issues before they become visible to advertisers. If fraudulent activity is suspected or confirmed, our team promptly investigates and takes necessary actions. Additionally, we collaborate with AdPolice to monitor brand infringements in search engines, allowing advertisers to oversee specific keyword activity within the Awin network.
Ongoing fraud prevention and compliance checks
Our Compliance Team conducts multiple ongoing checks to identify and mitigate fraudulent or non-compliant activities. Below are key measures we take to ensure a secure network.
Proactive monitoring
The Compliance Team actively scans the network for suspicious activity using internally developed tools.
Advanced compliance tracking reports help identify anomalies before they impact advertisers.
Payment review process
Every new partner undergoes a manual compliance check before receiving their first payment.
Payments for existing partners are also reviewed in collaboration with our finance team to detect irregularities.
Payment reviews take place twice a month (on the 1 and 15) to ensure that suspicious accounts don’t receive payouts until fully verified.
Transactions with advertisers susceptible to fraud, such as those with high lead remuneration and weak transaction checks, receive additional scrutiny.
Bank detail verification
Any changes to partner bank details are checked for authenticity.
If there is suspicion of unauthorized changes (e.g., hacked accounts), payments are paused until verification is complete.
First transaction monitoring
All new partners generating their first transaction are reviewed for signs of fraudulent activity.
Key red flags include:
Exceptionally high order values
Unusually short conversion times (click-to-transaction)
Non-relevant content on the advertising space
Geographic mismatches between user IP and advertiser’s primary market
Traffic source analysis
Third-party analytics tools help verify partner traffic sources and referral links.
Traffic data is compared against Awin’s internal records to detect inconsistencies.
Performance audits
Any significant spikes in performance are reviewed, with payments paused if suspicious patterns are detected.
Sub-networks must provide visibility into their traffic sources to ensure transparency and compliance.
Exposure and content compliance
Regular checks ensure promotional materials and brand messaging align with advertiser guidelines.
Third-party fraud prevention tools
In addition to our internal compliance measures, Awin leverages advanced third-party tools to enhance fraud detection.
AdPolice
Monitors paid search advertising for unauthorized keyword usage.
Detects non-compliant partner activity across major search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo).
Alerts the Compliance Team for immediate action.
IP Quality Score (IPQS)
Provides real-time fraud risk analysis on IP addresses, phone numbers, emails, and URLs.
Helps identify fraudulent activities such as fake partner profiles and bot-driven transactions.
SimilarWeb
Analyzes website traffic patterns to detect anomalies.
Identifies sudden traffic spikes, discrepancies in traffic origin, and potential bot activity.
Cross-references reported website traffic with verified data to ensure accuracy.
Commitment to network integrity
At Awin, our ongoing investment in fraud prevention ensures that advertisers can operate with confidence, knowing their affiliate programs are secure. Through a combination of expert compliance monitoring, proactive fraud detection, and cutting-edge technology, we uphold the integrity of our network and protect our advertisers from fraudulent activities.
If you have any questions about compliance and fraud prevention, please contact our Partner Compliance Team. If you have a dedicated Awin contact, please reach out to them. If not, you can get in touch with our support team by filling out the contact form.