Tuesday, December 26, 2006

What You Don’t Know About PPC Fraud
Could Put You Out Of Business

Pay Per Click seems like the answer to many a new, small business owner’s dreams: A competitive web presence via top-of-category advertising on the first page of the browser of your choice, and a record of pertinent site visitors.  After all, who would be accessing your site but visitors specifically interested in your services, yes?  Surely that would be worth the sometimes high price? Well, yes and oftimes, no.  Read on.

Did you know that Pay Per Click originated in the “Adult” market about nine years ago?  Back then, adult companies built massive affiliate networks on the PPC model that paid affiliates for displaying banners and text links.  This major revenue stream eventually dried up due to click fraud.  Unscrupulous affiliates linked any and all sites to their ‘adult content’ sites….Honest and innocent business people were soon fielding irate calls asking why their search for legitimate consumer goods and services took them to X-rated websites!  Not only were these businesses being bilked for theft of services, but they were also paying huge sums (after all, it is not called ‘Pay Per Click’ for nothing!) for the privilege!

And, while this practice has diminished significantly, there are still many ways to defraud honest consumers.  Another fraudulent practice perpetrated by some affiliates is to lure unsuspecting consumers into buying their PPC services with an unreasonably low PPC charge, then have workers in a “back office boiler room” run up charges by visiting the site repeatedly- often over 1,000 times a day per worker.  The victim sees only that his site is suddenly very popular.  But over time, when the “faux” visitors do not make web purchases on the site, and the small firm’s total marketing budget is sunk into the fraudulent PPC operator, the business sinks as well.

What can you do?  Kessler International, a renowned investigative strategies, computer forensic and forensic accounting firm, has some pointers on what business owners can do to protect themselves from PPC fraud, also what to do if one suspects fraud.  See links below.

SEE ALSO:  PAY-PER-CLICK OR PORN-PER-CLICK?
CORPORATIONS’ REPUTATIONS TARNISHED BY CLICK FRAUD
http://www.investigation.com/press/press49.htm

Posted by Michael G. Kessler in
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Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Come on, face it, what woman hasn’t wanted to compete with her well-heeled boss by buying a knock-off Prada®, Coach® or Louis-Vuitton® bag- if only for the shock value alone on Monday morning!  But the fact is, by purchasing “fabulous fakes” you are just supporting the rampant counterfeit industry in Asia and other foreign countries.  Kessler International, the renowned forensic accounting firm, has a high success rate of catching and preventing future “outbreaks” of this all too socially-acceptable crime.  Maybe it would lose some of its luster if called by its numerous “real” names:  Counterfeiting, Trademark Infringement, Royalty Violation…ripoffs?  Remember, it is not only perpetuating fraud to purchase these items, but also supports corrupt business practices abroad and in the United States.  Why “fake it” with a shoddy designer knock-off?  Set your own trend by being an original! 

See also:  “’Tis The Season For Counterfeit Goods”
http://www.investigation.com/press/press27.htm

To Learn More Why It’s Not Okay To Buy Counterfeit Goods, See:
“Anti-Counterfeiting Programs”
http://www.investigation.com/anti_counterfeiting.htm

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Thursday, December 07, 2006

Genuine Forensic Accounting/Computer Forensic Investigators

Popularized by their inclusion in TV crime shows such as “Law and Order” and “CSI”, the forensic accounting and computer forensic fields are becoming cluttered with newbie “litigation specialists” with no background, experience or formal training in these disciplines.  You wouldn’t hire a plumber who wasn’t familiar with the business end of a pipe wrench, would you?  So how do you safeguard yourself and your business from hiring a “specialist” who isn’t?

Kessler International, Inc. is the only name you have to know.  With over thirty-five years’ experience in forensic accounting (that’s more than many firms’ total staff experience combined!), President and CEO, Michael G. Kessler’s expertise is widely acknowledged.  He consults Fortune 500 as well as international companies- and is often retained to train corporate staff in the fine points of his craft.  For a comprehensive list of Kessler International, Inc. services, see:  Practice Capabilities, http://www.investigation.com/pracap.asp. 

Posted by Blog Admin in • Forensic Accounting • Computer Forensics
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Friday, December 01, 2006

’Hate to be a spoilsport, but the “most wonderful time of the year” for most of us, is also a field day for identity thieves- this so-called “victimless” crime surges during the Winter Holidays.  Why? Read More.

Posted by Blog Admin in • Brand Protection
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Monday, November 20, 2006

Kessler International launches its new online blog dubbed “The Kessler Notebook”.  Come back often to read about the recent headlines we’re creating around the globe as well as informative articles written by our staff of worldclass experts in forensic accounting, brand protection, computer forensics, and corporate investigations.

Posted by Blog Admin in • General
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