CraigsList Warns re Affiliate Scammers - Tells How to Bust Them

[Linda Buquet]

Craigslist Now Warns About Affiliate Scammers and Tells Users
How to Get Back at Them Where it Hurts - Right In the Wallet!

Affiliate Scammers Give the Industry a Big Black Eye!

I think (hope) most affiliates know that they aren't supposed to do affiliate marketing on Craigslist. Not only is it against Craigs TOS, but many affiliate networks prohibit CL marketing and will withhold your commissions.

Craiglist's enlists the aid of users who report affiliate spamvertising and anyone who has tried posting blatant affiliate links there, knows just how easy it is to get flagged.

But the underbelly of affiliate marketing, has all kinds of scammy ways to try to game the system and trick CL users into pulling out their credit card or filling out a lead form. I won't go into some of the creative marketing these guys do, but they are giving the affiliate marketing industry a huge black eye. Millions of CL users (consumers) are now probably going to link the word 'affiliate' with the word 'scammer'. :-(

So now Craigslist is resorting to extreme measures to curb affiliate scams. They issue a full page warning to users entering certain parts of the site (dating and jobs sections are the two I know of) and tell them how to get back at affiliates. This affiliate foiling tip is on the warning page:

FUN FACT: If you are able to determine a scammer's "affiliate ID" and report it to their affiliate marketing program, this will often result in termination of the scammer, and confiscation of the scammer's ill-gotten gains by the affiliate program.

Here is an example of the affiliate scam warning that comes up before entering job sites. Below is the copy, just in case you read this blog a month from now and that page is no longer working.

SCAM ALERT - affiliate scammers are posting bogus ads promising (nonexistent!) employment, paid research trials, or other compensation, but then notifying repliers that they'll need to jump through a hoop first, directing them to:

* background checking services
* credit checking or reporting sites
* sites where you are instructed to enter your resume or personal information
* sites where you are asked to sign up for a "free" trial offer
* sites offering training or education
* sites offering a "system" for making money
* survey or focus group sites
* sites designed to deliver malware or misuse your identifying information
all in hopes of earning affiliate marketing commissions or otherwise profiting at the expense of persons seeking employment.

Lots of variations on this scam, but each generally involves dangling (nonexistent!) compensation, and then directing you to a website where you are asked to sign up for something, use your credit card, or input personal information such as your email address.

The disclaimer page that comes up before entering the personals section is a little different. It says in part...

SCAM ALERT - scammers posing as potential romantic partners are directing CL users to age and identity verification sites, dating/adult/cam sites (where you can see their "pics" or chat with them), even sites designed to deliver malware --- all in hopes of earning affiliate marketing commissions at your expense.

FUN FACT: Reporting a scammer's "affiliate ID" to their affiliate marketing program often results in confiscation of the scammer's ill-gotten gains by the affiliate program.

Market responsibly folks! Do we really want millions of consumers thinking affiliates are scammers?

[Laura]

Thanks for posting this! I was just talking to a friend today about affiliate scams and that it has such a bad reputation that people kind of look at me funny as if I've gone over to the dark side when I mention that's what I do.

She expressed interest in my course but said that when she first heard what it was, the scams is what came to her mind. Then she said she knew there had to be something to it, though, because it was me and she knew I wouldn't get involved in anything shady.

I was able to explain to her that it's a totally legitimate way of making money online but most people don't know it because of our "black eye." Unfortunately, it's not just deliberate scammers that act irresponsibly but untrained newbies who follow bad advice. It's out of control.

Ah, darn it, now my undies are in a bunch. Thanks a lot, Linda!

[racemepls]

I tried to advertise my website on craigslist that is features cell phones. Nobody has to fill anything out I just advertise letstalk's products from my web page. Do you think I should pull my ads? It's not a scam by any means do I have anything to worry about?

[Edwin]

The problem lies with misrepresentation by affiliates, it's perfectly fine if you want to advertise your own website.

CL is still and will remain a good traffic source, because the same people are also checking out the Adwords ads. With CL you can reach out to the same people for free.

It's compared to Adwords just less targeted.

[racemepls]

craigslist was a good source for me but my half my posts got flagged for no reason. I never misrepresented adds in any manor.

[MaidMarion]

Backpage seems to be the new Craigslist. To be honest, Craigslist is a joke and is way more trouble than it's worth. I steered away from it long ago and I hope more marketers follow suit.

[racemepls]

A little bit off topic but it saves me opening a new thread. Does google count craigslist for back links?

[Linda Buquet]

Originally Posted by racemepls

craigslist was a good source for me but my half my posts got flagged for no reason. I never misrepresented adds in any manor.

Originally Posted by racemepls

A little bit off topic but it saves me opening a new thread. Does google count craigslist for back links?

Did you read the original post in this thread?

It's about how affiliates should not spam Twitter.

You have been spamming your ads for your affiliate site on CL. You admit that half get flagged.
I've found some of your ads that were flagged, some are in all caps, some are advertising
in sections you shouldn't be advertising in. Then you ask if Google counts CL for back links???

[racemepls]

OK I feel dumb cause you know a lot more about the subject then I do but %90 of them were in the cell phone section and the other ones were in the creative services. Where should've I placed them? In no way did I ever mean to spam cl.

[7 Days Ron]

From the little I know, none of them. Craigslist is mainly for people to sell their own things (say for example their bikes, cars, clothes). It is not a place to sell cell phones via an affiliate link or site advertised on Craigslist.