Zango?
 

A lot of people seem to be pissed about these guys...I really don't know anything about them (other than they are some kind of spyware).

Can someone get me up to speed, so I can find out a way to deal with these fuckers?

You've probably read the same threads I did at the zoo.

Zanga is indeed spyware/adware/malware. From what I gleaned...

It's an 'install' frequently packaged with something else a surfer might actually want...like porn movies. There are quite a number of really foolish webmasters peddling this crap...either not realizing what it does, or saying fuck it and taking the quick buck.

Upon installation, a db is downloaded to the users computer and linked to their browser. Every page that's loaded into the browser is scanned and crosschecked with that db. Keyterms that show up on the webpage are then linked to an zanga affiliate code. Surfer clicks and buys...zanga affiliate gets the sale. Now, if that's not bad enough...links being effectively loaded on your pages...it gets worse.

If a surfer clicks on one of your links and something in that link (like a paysite name) matches the db, a popunder is launched seconds after the click...thereby overwriting your affiliate code with the sponsor (since it's the second code received by the affiliate tracking system.) If the surfer buys, the zanga affiate gets the sale...not you.

There was a big stink on myspace about something they pulled recently...I don't know the details...other than a lot of computers were infected. From what I read, there are currently millions of computers infected with this crap. Kinda starts to make sense why sales have dropped off and continue to drop |angry|

One more reason for using php redirects for linking to sponsors.

Write a tutorial on that :D

You might want to load a spare computer with some of this scumware and check whether you are as secure as you apparently believe. Much of this scumware is not triggered solely by the URL read upon the initial click: it monitors all requests and can therefore intercept post-redirect calls too.

There are dozens of scumware providers who collectively are making millions. They are not generating a single new sale, thus every cent is being stolen from sponsors who are not their clients and from affiliates (even when the diverted traffic ends up at the same destination as it was originally intended for, but does so with a different "affiliate" being credited with the sale).

Epithets like "the zoo" are not undeserved, but once in a while serious things turn up there too. This is one of those things. It's not a new issue, but because it has been ignored it is gathering momentum and scumware is definitely not something about which anyone can afford to be complacent.

Damn sorry to hear the php redirects won't stop it either |banghead|

I agree completely Jay...the "zoo" comment is something I picked up from another member here and seemed appropriate. While I almost never post over there, I do monitor that board for exactly reasons like this situation. Once one filters through the silly stuff, there are sometimes important issues like this that arise.

i still say go to the source :D they are in manhattan in soho there are 3 companies that use various names it was in business week. if you have a big site that really gets affected, go get your money...they are in a loft office not some big towers :)

p.s. lawsuits are public docs that have addresses lol.....shhhh

xxxjay, Zango in action at your site:

http://www.teamclickcash.com/tmp/jayxxxlinks.html

this test was made by a guy at another board. I hope this company can be put to sleep for good.

And this is how they "deliver" the traffic to their advertisers:
http://www.metricsdirect.com/whatwed...ngyourads.aspx

"Interested in information about mortgages, a person types in the URL to a well-known online mortgage services company. MetricsDirect recognizes the targeted URL, and while the original page is loading, delivers a competitive advertiser’s landing page. This occurs only when the competing mortgage firm has targeted its competitor’s URL. This offers the consumer a comparative shopping opportunity."

In other words, you will have to buy your own keyword back from competitors or let them get YOUR sale and of course you will loose your affiliate sales when your cookie gets overwritten or if another paysite of the same kind pops up.

Zango and 180solutions |angry|

I just installed zango on my computer and made a test on my own site and it pops up another dating sponsor over AFF when I click one of my AFF links. Same thing happens when I click on any cams.com link.

this is just so wrong.

I know this has been going on for a while now, but it does seem as though there's a 'ramping up' taking place right now |angry|

Hats off to ya for installing the fucker and testing it |bow|

So what can be done about this?
If the affiliate code stealing thing is true, then they are basically taking money out of our pockets that is rightfully ours, since we sent the click that made the sale...

Cant anything be done? Isnt this against the law? Are they based in the USA? You think sales are down now, this shit hasnt even started :( It is just going to be spread and spread until something is done about it, I sure dont want half of my surfers to be infected with this, which is where it could be within a year or two. Not cool.

Well if you consider that gambling became officially illegal in the last month or so, they need to replace that income with something else. Porn is the perfect victim - there are so many people that can't see a foot past them that they will be willing to infect as many as they can in hopes of making that .40 per install or whatever it is that these companies pay.

What those people that help facilitate the installs aren't realizing is that their incomes, with every other sponsor they work on in the future will now diminish. This disease of an install will chew up on your income for the next few years or until it's cleaned off the computers of infected surfers.

Everything from SEO, Galleries, TGP, MGP, LinkLists, Free sites, hubs......whatever you build from now on, remember that if nothing is done to stop this, you are basically giving a certain % to some invisible income chomper.


**Also, it's not only the company that owns the scumware that is 'taking' from you - it could be your competitor, other affiliates, one of your sponsors. The other folks are bidding on the keywords from another of their services as PPC. So you worked HARD on finding and building great text on your pages - and they basically takeover your text, links, hardwork and credit for all the surfers that are infected with this stuff**

I know a guy who has a baseball bat! |club|

Seriously... what can us little guys do?

Stop promoting sponsors who are not actively opposed to scumware. Treat anyone, whatever their role in this business, like a leper if they promote scumware.

It is depressing how many people have been working in online porn for years, yet still act as if they are only here to make a quick fortune and retire. It gets very old waiting for more to recognize that our business environment can have more impact on our incomes than most of the minutiae we concern ourselves with on the boards.

CRACK the program and develope some kind of antidote, then all sites may promote the antidote to rewrite the database to turn it against everyone that is involved with scumware |raygun|

Very well put and absolutely true Trixxxi |thumb

Frankly, it was more than a bit disconcerting that some folks who stated openly they'd continue to promote this for the quick buck. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot |banghead|

Exactly - See I can expect some funky stuff from a newb in the biz - but people that have already been here for awhile, I wonder what would inspire them to want to lose a potential customer for a few years for a measily $ 0.40.

Think of the poor smuck that has it installed, now if I have a hard time removing mine, the neighbour's and everyone in my family & I can basically skate well on a computer - imagine what some fresh surfer has to go through?**BTW I've gotten these crap things auto-installed many times - now who's installing them, I'm not going to point a finger BUT it has been auto-installed & it's a bitch to remove** Do you think he'd want to spend $ 50 - $100 to have someone efficiently remove it or format his drive? Do you think he will be happy-go-lucky surfing in the future? The answer is no & the other answer is the more you do it, the more you are conditioning your surfer to become skeptical and cautious rather than be a spur-of-the-moment emotional buyer.

The other thing is think of the power you are giving these companies!!!!! Not only are they taking over your traffic, in some cases, they are also charging per click for YOUR work!!! it's a win-win situation. You are inadvertently giving them total control of YOUR clients - remember that. It's a client that will never come back to you - even if he loves your site, any purchase he will make will be credited to someone else. Keep that in mind when you're all gun-ho about installing for a measily $ .40.

**Mr. Yum - I'm sure you understood it - but just in case - when I refer to 'YOU' I mean anyone who's all 'YAH MAN!! WOOHOO $0.40 per install baby - I'm making bank!' :)

That's the one bit which struck me as odd. Selling the junk for 0.40 per install. I'm pretty sure you could make the same if not x10 more by sending traffic to legit sponsors that have either free joins, $1 joins or dialer access.

-N

Sorta strange number, with PPC I generally calculate earning about 40¢/click as a working ROI.

I agree that sending Big Tony around for a visit first |club| would be more satisfying, and then calling in the uniforms after to haul away the trash.

Yup, understood it completely :)

And agree totally, some of the people in this business are so short sighted it's staggering. Like yourself, I could see a newbie making this kind of mistake. And frankly, it wouldn't be as detrimental to the industry if it were someone with little to no traffic to speak of. But, some of the people pushing this crap actually have traffic. They're not only fucking themselves...they're fucking all of us in the ass too. And for a long time to come as surfers become convinced it's that damn porn business fucking up their computers again |banghead|

That said, I'm going to start doing some sideline work as a geek on the go. These fuckers are costing me money...no doubt about that...stats have been horrible since this shit really hit the fan a few weeks ago. Unlike some who say, 'if ya can't beat em, join em'...I'll make up my lost revenue by helping surfers remove this crap and educating them on how to keep it clean :)

Frankly, even if/when zango is taken down...there will be others...there will always be others. So fuck it, I've decided to do the right thing and help the end users who are being screwed. Makes me feel good...and will most likely be fairly lucrative too :D

Washing my hands of the idiots is easy enough, but how would I know which sponsors work with these demons?

You got a PM MrYum. |thumb

wow... I had no idea that I'm working for others.. |angry| |banghead|

I'd also like to know how to spot the good/bad sponsors... or anything else that can be done.

GammaCash is no better... they run 5 toolbar installs as well...

kinda a dumb question

the unique gets stolen before a hit can count in our sponsor stats? or its masked to show a hit and they steal a sale?

I am very worried about this we 4 year old webmasters that came into this biz have a hard enough time trying to make enough to make it worth while and now this shit comes about, we all need to band toghter, webmasters and sponsors and try and put a stop to this, before we all or working for next to nothing while these thieves get fat on our traffic and hard work...

I have seen a small gradual decline in click throughs, maybe its this shit in action...

Depends the case - it's not always the same - not all of those companies work the same way.

The software will actually convert your 'text' into linkable 'text'
Others will leave your text intact - but when anchor text to your sponsor says something like 'HOT TEENS' and that link is clicked - it sparks a pop-over. So if your sponsor's tour came up they pop-over with one of their client's sites. **Your sponsor disappeared under the window so basically, you don't get 'A' sale**
The other scenario is when they have a 'client' that actually bids on that same sponsor - they basically bump you out of the sale by sending to the other affiliate's code.