When dealing with opt-in fraud, one might ask, “What types of problems, exactly, could this cause for my business?” LashBack Senior Client Service Manager Mike McGough responds, “If the data going to your email list has LashBack seeds in it, chances are, you are going to hear about it from one of your business partners.” LashBack clients have access to our reporting services, CAN-SPAM Compliance Monitor and List Monitor, so they will be notified when a partner is sending to a list that contains bad data.

The pitfalls associated with bad data from false signups do not end with suppression list seeding. If a list contains LashBack probes, it will likely also contain “spam trap” email addresses that are used to form various blacklists. Sending to these addresses could contribute to problematic listings on multiple blacklists and result in a severe decrease in deliverability.

A first step in combatting opt-in fraud and false signups is keeping a watchful eye on your email reputation and the email reputation of your partners. LashBack’s services can assist you in doing just that by monitoring your sending behavior as well as the sending behavior of your partners. The cost of bad data paid in the form of blacklisting, spam complaints and decreased deliverability is too high.

In the end, the investment in monitoring for compliance and best practice failures, not to mention having the ability to catch fraudulent practices is well worth it. False opt-ins and other fraudulent practices not only cost our industry lost money spent on bad data, but also hurt our collective reputation. Being proactive to monitor the quality of your data provides a return in real dollars saved and protects revenue and profit.

This post is part three of a three part post on opt-in fraud. Click the links to read part one and part two.