New Tricky method MFAs are using to avoid filters

URL hijacking on increase

[MikeNoLastName]

I just finished reporting the third instance of this to Adsense in as many weeks. We can supposedly competive ad filter based on the displayed URL and the URL contained in the link, BUT NOT necesarily the Final Destination URL (final resolving URL). I have found a number of (in every case I have found so far) MFA arbitagers who display one URL on the ad (in one case a totally legitimate magazine website) but make the link a third party (I guess also otherwise legitimate) click-tracking website, which THEN finally resolves to the MFA site. In ALL cases the final destination was one which was ALREADY IN MY COMPETITIVE AD FILTER!
So until Adsense starts testing all ads (against our competitive ad filters) for the FINAL DESTINATION URL, what recourse do we have?
1. Use the pathetic preview tool to manually CLICKTHRU TEST EVERY ad that appears on every page of our site, to make sure it goes where it is saying and filter the ones which don't even though, it is extremely time consuming and we may be penalizing another innocent advertiser whose URL the scammer is using?
2. Competitive ad filter ALL ads with clickthru tracking sites in the ad url (i.e. clickthrutrackingsite-dot-com,) if that even works, even though many legitimate and GOOD paying advertisers use them too.
3.?

[purplecape]

4. Keep talking about this until ASA notices this thread and brings it to the attention of the engineering team...

[iridiax]

Click-tracking websites are a favorite of MFA arbitrageurs. I have to block some of the trackers just to get rid of some of the worst MFAs.

[Scurramunga]

this is not new

[zett]

Agree with iridiax.

I see two classes of click-through-trackers: legit and self-programmed. I'm blocking the latter wholeheartedly and it usually gets rid of the whole bunch of scammers from that group/arbitrageur. It is a bit difficult with the legit click-through-trackers, as they also have a few unwanted advertisers, so I decide on a case-by-case basis.

[Hobbs]

this is not new

Yes, why is thread titled "New Tricky Methods"?
And MikeNoLastName is not new to AdSense.

Keep talking about this until ASA notices

Or wait till tomorrow and be the first to post when ASA creates the June AdSense requests thread.

A word of caution when blocking click trackers, as Zett mentioned, you will also be clocking current & future legit advertisers using the same service, hit the MFA not the tools used by MFA, when you can't easily reach & block them, there's a reason, some of those blood sucking scum got brains after all.

Unfortunately the only effective cure for this infection is in Google's hands.

[potentialgeek]

Another reason for Domain Filtering by Account.

[zett]

Another reason for Domain Filtering by Account.

Shhhhh. Patience, young Jedi!

That's for ASA's upcoming June feature request thread. ;-)

[Hobbs]

Block by account? Yeah right!

PFR = premature feature request syndrome

- common among geeks that repeatedly dream of impossible Google features but get none.

- also recently observed in some non AdSense native areas

- no known cure has been found as of writing this, but it is rumored that Google engineers are working on an external remedy

disclaimer: Google AdSense engineers are said to have feature deficit disorder (FDD) themselves unlike their fellow Google AdWords Engineers, making a remedy even more unlikely

[zett]

Google AdSense engineers

There are no Google Adsense engineers.

The only one working on the program is apparently that part-time intern who is busy coding the customer service reply bot (to answer publisher questions). Other than that, the coding department was recently replaced by an algo.

ASA, should you read this - you can take a joke, can't you?

[Scurramunga]

All the engineers work on the Adwords team.

[MikeNoLastName]

>Yes, why is thread titled "New Tricky Methods"?
>And MikeNoLastName is not new to AdSense

It was new to ME...
Adsense seemed pretty interested in it and wrote like it was something new to them, when I wrote them the first time.
I even scanned back through an ENTIRE page of threads in the Adsense forum to see if anyone else had mentioned it. nada :)

[Scurramunga]

Adsense seemed pretty interested in it and wrote like it was something new to them

Of course they did, but everyone knows that adsense are MFA deniers. ;-)