cookie stuffing

Definition

A fraudulent affiliate marketing practice where cookies are placed on users' browsers without genuine clicks, stealing credit for conversions. The digital equivalent of pickpocketing commission checks.

Example Usage

Our affiliate network suspended three partners for cookie stuffing after we noticed impossible conversion rates from zero-engagement traffic.

Origin

Emerged with affiliate marketing growth in the early 2000s as fraudsters exploited tracking mechanisms

Fun Fact

The FTC fined eBay's cookie stuffer $2.8 million in 2013, though the practice continues in evolved forms.

Source: Affiliate marketing and ad fraud terminology

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