Skin in the Game
All participants stake value
How Does Njord Prevent Affiliate Marketing Fraud?
Njord makes fraud economically irrational through staking, challenges, and automated detection
Design Principles
Profitable Detection
Catching fraud is rewarded
Decentralized
Multiple parties can challenge
Economic Deterrence
Fraud costs more than gains
Trust = Speed
Higher trust, faster settlement
What Is the Attribution Lifecycle?
Submitted
Pending
Challenged
Settled
1
Submitted
Bridge submits event
2
Auto-Check
Velocity & pattern checks
3
Pending
Normal hold period
4
Challenge Window
Open for disputes
5
Resolution
Dispute resolved
6
Settled
Commission paid
How Does the Challenge System Work?
Who Can Challenge?
Company
Challenge their own campaign attributions
Bridge Operator
Challenge any attribution they processed
Other Affiliate
Challenge same-campaign attributions
Protocol (Auto)
Automated detection for any attribution
Challenge Outcomes
Fraud Confirmed
Affiliate loses commission + stake slash. Challenger gets bond back + 50% of commission. Company gets 50% refunded.
Challenge Rejected
Affiliate gets commission + challenger's bond. Challenger loses bond. False accusations are penalized.
Inconclusive
Affiliate gets 50% commission. Challenger gets bond back (no reward). Company gets 50% refunded.
How Does Fraud Scoring Work?
Each attribution receives a fraud score from 0-100 based on multiple signals
0-20
Auto-approve
Fast settlement
20-50
Standard
Normal hold period
50-80
Suspicious
Extended hold + review
80-100
Auto-reject
Requires verification
What Fraud Scenarios Does Njord Detect?
Cookie Stuffing
Hidden iframes dropping cookies on unsuspecting users
Detection:
Low click-to-conversion time, high volume with low engagement, IP/session mismatches
Fake Signups
Creating fake accounts to earn per-signup commissions
Detection:
Disposable email domains, phone verification failure, no subsequent platform engagement
Bot Traffic
Using bots to generate fake clicks or signups
Detection:
Device fingerprint anomalies, inhuman behavioral patterns, IP clustering from data centers
Collusion
Bridge operator and affiliate submitting fake attributions
Detection:
Cross-bridge comparison, unusual volume spikes, company transaction record mismatch
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Njord prevent affiliate marketing fraud?
Njord uses a multi-layered approach combining economic staking, automated fraud scoring (0-100), a challenge system with bonds, and decentralized dispute resolution. All participants must stake value, making fraud economically irrational because the cost of getting caught exceeds the potential gains.
What happens when fraud is detected in a campaign?
When fraud is confirmed through the challenge system, the affiliate loses their commission and has their stake slashed. The challenger receives their bond back plus 50% of the commission, while the company gets 50% refunded. This incentivizes active fraud detection across the network.
Who can challenge a suspicious attribution?
Companies can challenge their own campaign attributions with a 5% bond, bridge operators can challenge any attribution they processed with a 10% bond, other affiliates can challenge same-campaign attributions with a 15% bond, and the protocol itself runs automated detection requiring no bond.
How does the fraud scoring system work?
Each attribution receives a fraud score from 0-100 based on multiple signals. Scores 0-20 are auto-approved for fast settlement, 20-50 follow standard hold periods, 50-80 trigger extended holds and review, and 80-100 are auto-rejected requiring manual verification.