Yahoo Linked to Spyware Click Fraud

Some years ago, I closed my Overture pay per click advertising account (now owned by Yahoo! and re-branded as Yahoo! Search Marketing) in protest over Overture openly undertaking ad-testing with notorious spyware manufacturer Gator (now re-branded as Claria). If you're unfamiliar with the terms "spyware", "scumware" or "thiefware", catch up here.

I have since resurrected my account with Overture/Yahoo! as it was my understanding that the deal with Gator/Claria was dead. But today I learned of an alarming report by Ben Edelman linking Yahoo! to click fraud via a current syndication arrangement with not only Gator/Claria, but with "many dozens" of spyware companies. Even more alarming was the revelation that Yahoo! provided 31% of Gator/Claria's income in 2003!

This is serious stuff folks. Anyone with a Yahoo/Overture pay per click account should study their traffic logs carefully (don't rely on the reports from Yahoo) and lodge a formal complaint with Yahoo! if spyware connections are involved as outlined in Ben's report. Don't take click fraud lying down! Especially when it's lining the very pockets of the company that denies it exists. I am investigating my own Yahoo! account and will post here if I find any click-fraud issues.