Q: Should I screen affiliate fraud by IP/device rules or by behavioral signals?

Q: Should I screen affiliate fraud by IP/device rules or by behavioral signals?

Use both, but know what each catches.

— IP, device-fingerprint, and velocity rules catch the crude stuff: duplicate signups, click flooding, datacenter traffic, one device generating 40 'customers.' Cheap, fast, runs at the tracker level (Everflow, Fraudlogix, integrated rules).
— Behavioral and cohort analysis catches sophisticated fraud the rules miss: real-looking users who never engage, conversions with zero post-signup activity, a partner whose customers all churn day one.

Start with IP/velocity rules because they stop 80% of garbage at the door. Layer behavioral review on your top earners — that's where a clever fraudster hides, blended into legitimate volume.

Caveat: hard IP blocks create false positives on shared networks (offices, mobile carriers, VPNs). Flag for review, don't auto-reject, or you'll burn legitimate partners and never hear why they left.

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