[Dynamoo]

Interesting post about cookie stuffing at El Reg:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02...uffer_charges/

[loxly]

And of course the stuffer bragged about it...

[writerguy]

YIKES!! Hard to say how much us legit EPN affiliates have suffered from unwarranted restrictions, lame counter efforts, and all around confusion caused at EPN by this jerk's illegal crap!!!!!

[rematt]

Originally Posted by loxly

And of course the stuffer bragged about it...

I bet this will shut him up:

Kennedy was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000

-rematt

[Chuck Hamrick]

It will take large companies like eBay to get these suits out there. Just like the fiasco with downloaded music the FTC should go after everyone he sold it to.

Nice comment in the article about blackhatworld.com

[Chuck Hamrick]

The eBay Partner Network (epn) might be the only affiliate program out there where fraudsters actually created a $500 manual on how to fraud it. The document is about 60 pages. Looks like other affiliates are scamming each other and underselling it. They are even running contextual adverting to promote it. At least EPN has the resources to nail these guys.

[Eric Ewe]

Look where bragging will get you. Or actually where will it lead the Feds to..

[Linda - 5starAffiliatePrograms]

Good, glad eBay caught another one!

Rematt quoted:

"Kennedy was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000"

In addition to that he's going to have a boatload of legal fees no doubt.

I'd hadn't checked the cookie stuffing case eBay has against the owner of DP and his cronies for awhile.
But I just looked and it's still going strong a year and a half after I 1st blogged it.

Look at all those filings. Those lawyers have sure been keeping busy!
Must be costing a ton!

Court Filings - Bay Inc. v. Digital Point Solutions, Inc. et al

Crime doesn't pay!

[Drewbert]

So due to being victims of cookie stuffers, they tightened up the rules and kicked out some of their best affiliates in the process, and then the thieves found loopholes anyway and created a black market in EPN accounts.

Good job eBay!

Give that man a medal!

[Kellie aka Ms. B]

What a coincidence, I was looking at these types of programs and scripts earlier this evening. Unfortunately, it's not the only one out there & it' s not just targeted towards Ebay cookie stuffing. Ebay and Amazon do get targeted a lot just because so many people go to those site overall.

Ironically, all the ones I looked at this evening where purchased through PayPal.
Hmmmm........

Lots of not so nice blackhat tools being openly marketed out there right now. Maybe that's a post for the managers forum.

[Dynamoo]

Originally Posted by Linda - 5starAffiliatePrograms

Court Filings - Bay Inc. v. Digital Point Solutions, Inc. et al

Crime doesn't pay!

I'd forgotten about the Digital Point allegations. Here's hoping that justice is done!

[Leader]

Originally Posted by Dynamoo

Interesting post about cookie stuffing at El Reg:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02...uffer_charges/

Darn. You beat me to posting this!

The most important thing I see in this case is that the Fed action shows that they believe it is ILLEGAL, not just unethical, to commit fraud via cookie stuffing. If the court agrees, and I expect it will, this should bring about a major attitude shift amongst blackhatters, many of whom currently think it (and many other kinds of fraud) is quite fine from a legal standpoint.

N00bs find shady forums, believe it when people there say "it's legal," and start doing the same things. The Feds breaking down that delusion should, in itself, cause a drop in the amount of cookie stuffing and other fraud going on.

[ChrisGuthrie]

I'm confused as to why he would brag about it and try and sell a manual for $500 when he could have just simply ran it himself and perhaps never been found out?

Ah well, unethical practices and illegal actions have a way to work themselves out naturally.

[Chuck Hamrick]

Because he could make a lot of money quickly by selling the information where he stood to be shutdown by eBay. Suspect he did both.

[cindywho]

He gives a new meaning to the name "Cookie Monster"