Isn't This Devious Spam Advertising?

Hi everyone

Has anyone heard of whenu.com?

I went to one of my web sites today and I was confronted with a pop up ad!

I had no knowledge of it and had not consented to it.

I sent them a rather firm, but polite email demanding that they remove it immediately. It was removed pretty sharp!

I went back to my web site 20 minutes later and it had gone!

The ad was targeting my web site traffic offering similar products from comapnies who I assume has advertised with them.

I visited another web site today and I was confronted yet again with the same compnay advert but of course targetting their customers with like products. I sent them an email informing them, as I am sure they too were unaware of the ad.

I would also assume they must be targetting thousands of other web sites without the knowledge and consent of web site owners.

How can they do this...they are stealing our web site traffic that we work hard to get!

Just though you'd appreciate knowing about it.

Regards,
Susan.

Whenu is one of a number of companies offering "poaching," - the theft of traffic generated for a particular merchant by one of its affiliates - by popping up competing offers when potential buyers click the affiliate link that takes them to the merchant's site.

I ran across this brand of theft as I was researching both spam and security this summer.

I intended to write about it, but talked myself out of it because I didn't think there was any interest.

Programs like Kazaa (and others I'd have to look up) are freebies that add spyware that allows this to happen.

There is an affiliate forum which is diligently working to alert merchant subscribers to the problem. (Problem is, I've done a bunch of stuff to my computer, and can't find the link right off.)

Outfits like Commission Junction and others of that ilk need to take steps to protect their affiliate signups from companies that use spurious tactics like that.

Aw, Jeez! I haven't been on line for a while, and most of what I could tell you is buried deeply in my tired head. What I've written probably is incoherent . . .

If you use or recommend use of programs such as Kazaa, and Gator, you're promulgating the thievery. Such programs are used to implant spyware and thiefware on unsuspecting users which allows this kind of thing to go on.

In the meantime, to fight it, you must deal directly with the merchant who's competing ad shows up. They pay the thiefware people, and in the process, steal your hard-earned commissions.

If I get a chance, I'll dig up the notes I have on this.

Marye

BTW, Hi Everybody! I'll be back soon (I hope!). Meanwhile I miss reading SOW, though I'm saving my copies of ehotsheet.

> Hi everyone

> Has anyone heard of whenu.com?

> I went to one of my web sites today and I
> was confronted with a pop up ad!

> I had no knowledge of it and had not
> consented to it.

> I sent them a rather firm, but polite email
> demanding that they remove it immediately.
> It was removed pretty sharp!

> I went back to my web site 20 minutes later
> and it had gone!

> The ad was targeting my web site traffic
> offering similar products from comapnies who
> I assume has advertised with them.

> I visited another web site today and I was
> confronted yet again with the same compnay
> advert but of course targetting their
> customers with like products. I sent them an
> email informing them, as I am sure they too
> were unaware of the ad.

> I would also assume they must be targetting
> thousands of other web sites without the
> knowledge and consent of web site owners.

> How can they do this...they are stealing our
> web site traffic that we work hard to get!

> Just though you'd appreciate knowing about
> it.

> Regards,
> Susan.

Hi Marye, Cornell,

Thanks for that...

Actually, after reading both posts, it suddenly occurred to me that I had recently installed software called TWEAKMASTER and during the install process I was alsed whether I wanted to also install another program, which was suppose to spy for hackers or something. Anyway, I didn't agree, but I just checked my add/remove programs and there it was, the software that caused the ad to appear on my web site called SaveNow!

I have now removed both so hopefully I won't get any more of this. I hope this helps other unsuspecting people to be careful what they install, espeially software that attemps to steal your own web site traffic!

I for one will certainly be very cautious about what I install from now on. I just hope that uninstalling it has eliminated it for good!

Regards,
Susan.

> Whenu is one of a number of companies
> offering "poaching," - the theft
> of traffic generated for a particular
> merchant by one of its affiliates - by
> popping up competing offers when potential
> buyers click the affiliate link that takes
> them to the merchant's site.

> I ran across this brand of theft as I was
> researching both spam and security this
> summer.

> I intended to write about it, but talked
> myself out of it because I didn't think
> there was any interest.

> Programs like Kazaa (and others I'd have to
> look up) are freebies that add spyware that
> allows this to happen.

> There is an affiliate forum which is
> diligently working to alert merchant
> subscribers to the problem. (Problem is,
> I've done a bunch of stuff to my computer,
> and can't find the link right off.)

> Outfits like Commission Junction and others
> of that ilk need to take steps to protect
> their affiliate signups from companies that
> use spurious tactics like that.

> Aw, Jeez! I haven't been on line for a
> while, and most of what I could tell you is
> buried deeply in my tired head. What I've
> written probably is incoherent . . .

> If you use or recommend use of programs such
> as Kazaa, and Gator, you're promulgating the
> thievery. Such programs are used to implant
> spyware and thiefware on unsuspecting users
> which allows this kind of thing to go on.

> In the meantime, to fight it, you must deal
> directly with the merchant who's competing
> ad shows up. They pay the thiefware people,
> and in the process, steal your hard-earned
> commissions.

> If I get a chance, I'll dig up the notes I
> have on this.

> Marye

> BTW, Hi Everybody! I'll be back soon (I
> hope!). Meanwhile I miss reading SOW, though
> I'm saving my copies of ehotsheet.

dno
> Whenu is one of a number of companies
> offering "poaching," - the theft
> of traffic generated for a particular
> merchant by one of its affiliates - by
> popping up competing offers when potential
> buyers click the affiliate link that takes
> them to the merchant's site.

> I ran across this brand of theft as I was
> researching both spam and security this
> summer.

> I intended to write about it, but talked
> myself out of it because I didn't think
> there was any interest.

> Programs like Kazaa (and others I'd have to
> look up) are freebies that add spyware that
> allows this to happen.

> There is an affiliate forum which is
> diligently working to alert merchant
> subscribers to the problem. (Problem is,
> I've done a bunch of stuff to my computer,
> and can't find the link right off.)

> Outfits like Commission Junction and others
> of that ilk need to take steps to protect
> their affiliate signups from companies that
> use spurious tactics like that.

> Aw, Jeez! I haven't been on line for a
> while, and most of what I could tell you is
> buried deeply in my tired head. What I've
> written probably is incoherent . . .

> If you use or recommend use of programs such
> as Kazaa, and Gator, you're promulgating the
> thievery. Such programs are used to implant
> spyware and thiefware on unsuspecting users
> which allows this kind of thing to go on.

> In the meantime, to fight it, you must deal
> directly with the merchant who's competing
> ad shows up. They pay the thiefware people,
> and in the process, steal your hard-earned
> commissions.

> If I get a chance, I'll dig up the notes I
> have on this.

> Marye

> BTW, Hi Everybody! I'll be back soon (I
> hope!). Meanwhile I miss reading SOW, though
> I'm saving my copies of ehotsheet.

Marye (and everyone else) -

> If you use or recommend use of programs such
> as Kazaa, and Gator, you're promulgating the
> thievery. Such programs are used to implant
> spyware and thiefware on unsuspecting users
> which allows this kind of thing to go on.

Kazaa has some other issues you might not be aware of. There was an article about them awhile back. Danged if I can remember where but I know it was online. Anyway, buried deep in their EULA, (end user license agreement), you are agreeing to allow them to use your computer to basically do whatever they wish whenever they wish. So if you click the Agree button, you just agreed to allow them to do that. How are they able to do this? Well, the same technology, called peer-to-peer, that allows you to get music through them, allows them to get to your machine. When I showed this to my 16 yo son, I finally got him to quit installing Kazaa as he agreed it wasn't a real good idea to give them that kind of control.

AFA Gator, I read just the other day that a judge somewhere slapped a restraining order on them. Oh. I think it had to do with a lawsuit from the NY Times and some other folks. I think Dien might have posted the link.

Bonzi Buddy is another one to be careful of.

So how can you protect yourself against this trash? Often, simply removing the spyware isn't enough because it leaves little pieces behind that still "phone home." I would highly recommend downloading and periodically using Ad-Aware from Lavasoft. You can get it from www.lavasoftUSA.com. Last time I checked, it was free. I run it every so often to make sure that my son hasn't unknowingly downloaded some new piece of spyware or scumware. It's normally pretty accurate. I did get a bit of a surprise this morning though. It reported a false positive on a piece of software I'm developing for a client in Wisconsin! To my knowledge *g*, I haven't included any spyware components in it!!!

Rick Smith, "The Net Guerrilla"


Click Here to Get a Great New Life in 10 Days!

Thanks, Rick. I have that tidbit tucked away somewhere, too.

Implicit in this discussion is something list owners can do to help curtail the menace - ALERT YOUR SUBSCRIBERS!

Whenever I hear of someone recommending one of these thiefware/spyware programs, I cringe a little, because after all, who really reads the EULA? Few people suspect what they're opening themselves up to when they install these things.

Note: Adaware has a component that allows it to act as a sentry (in a manner of speaking) and it'll prevent such programs from surreptitious installation if you accidently happen across certain websites (Yes, just surfing some sites while you've got java and activeX turned on can get you stuff you don't want, including viruses (virii). That component of Adaware can be activated at start up, and it just sits there waiting . . .

At the very least, you can stop the switching of your homepage to stuff you don't want.

These kinds of "freebies" have also been implicated as culprits in "breaking" Windows and programs that run under it. They can and do slow down your computer by using Windows resources, causing less to be available for the tasks you want to perform.

Marye
P. S. (You KNEW there'd be one, didn't you?)
I'm doing something right now that has (so far) proved to be rewarding, and has/is revealing to Marye stuff that Marye never dreamed about herself!

Details in another drive-by post at another time . . .

Hi Susan:

Here is a bit of an explanation of whenu

Cornell




explanation of whenu