online voting contests - easypromos€¦ · in online voting contests beneﬁts for brands problems...

- May 2016 -

Fraud Control SystemNew

- for -

online voting contests

In online voting contests

Benefits for brands

Problems for organizers

Fraudulent practices by participants

Anti-fraud measures

Project motivation

Analysis of online vote buying

Preventative measures

Anti-fraud Alert System

Fraud Index

Tips and good practices

Ind�Objectives of the Fraud Control System1.

2.

3.

4.

2.1

2.2

2.3

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.7

Serious anti-fraud alerts3.5Minor anti-fraud alerts3.6

Twitter: @easypromos Fraud Control System - May 2016

1. Objectives of the Fraud Control System

1.

2.

3.

4.

To prevent fraudulent practices.

To block invalid votes.

To detect invalid patterns.

To determine the validity of a participant.

In online voting contests

2.


2.1 Benefits for brands

Winner selection is delegated to participants.

Participants’ quest for votes stimulates virality:

[Spain] The 10% tax on sweepstakes prizes is not charged when

voters select the winner.

98% of participants share.

46% of voters become brand followers.

An increase in pages viewed Greater brand visibility


2.2 Problems for organ�ers

Participants compete amongst themselves in the relatively uncontrolled

environment of social networks.

If there’s any doubt regarding the winning entry then the organizer:

Should analyze and determine the validity of votes.

May have difficulty guaranteeing the validity of votes, despite having technical data.

Must manage complaints and allegations.

May face repercussions regarding the brand image.

1.

2.

3.

4.


2.3 Fraudulent practices

Online vote purchase.

Management of multiple fake Facebook accounts

(not corresponding to a real person according to Facebook’s

Community Standards).

Use of software for automating or semi-automating the voting

process.

Use of stolen Facebook accounts, Facebook phishing.

€

Anti-fraud Measures

3.


3.1 Project motivation

In November 2015, our company set ourselves the goal of becoming

more effective at combatting fraud in voting contests.

We decided to expand our antifraud system, particularly in these areas:

It’s important:

Analysis of online vote purchasing.

Detection of recurring fraud practices.

To detect recurring fraudulent practices.

To create a database of false or suspicious users.

To provide more analytical tools to organizers to enable them

to determine the validity of a participant.


3.2 Analysis of online vote buying

We investigated online vote sellers, even taking the step of buying votes from the Top 5 sellers, with the following objectives in mind:

To create a database of invalid users.

To analyze, compare and record patterns of vote buying.

To learn more about their modus-operandi.

To test new antifraud measures.

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2.

3.

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3.3 Preventative measures

Measures that minimize fraudulent voting:

Captchas, Double-Opt in

A database of users who require additional validation

because of the following:

They engaged in vote buying during previous contests.

They are using an account which has been registered as stolen.

They are using an account which exhibited a pattern of

fraudulent voting (revealed by serious antifraud alerts).


3.4 Anti-fraud Alert System

11 Security controls

When a voter does not pass a control:

The vote is not counted.

A message will appear explaining why.

An alert will be registered for the participant being voted for.

Two types of alerts:

Serious: an invalid vote associated with suspicious users,

IT manipulation or online vote buying

Minor: an invalid vote with no signs of IT manipulation.

Twitter: @easypromos Control Antifraude - Mayo 2016 Twitter: @easypromos Fraud Control System - May 2016

Suspicious users

Pattern of fraudulent voting

Users who are asked for extra verification and then don’t

terminate the process.

In real time the system compares the votes obtained by a

participant to voting patterns commonly seen with online vote

buying. It also checks voting patterns for signs of the use of IT

tools for automating or semi-automating votes.

1.

2.

3.5 Serious Anti-fraud Alerts


Use of IP-changing software:

Use of malicious software:

The voter uses software to automatically change the IP address.

The voter uses programs to attempt to vote from outside the contest interface.

3.

4.

3.5 Serious Anti-fraud Alerts


3.6 Minor Anti-fraud Alerts

Frequency of vote per IP:

Votes cast from a single device:

Unverified Facebook account

Monitors the number of votes cast from the same IP over a

short period of time.

Facebook notifies whether or not an account has been validated

via cell phone. We don’t allow unverified accounts.

Monitors the total number of votes cast from a single device.

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2.

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3.7 Fraud Ind� – Definition

The Fraud Index is an indicator calculated by the Easypromos Platform

which represents the probability that the votes received by a participant come from fraudulent practices.

The organizer can include the Index in the Legal Bases as a determining factor for disqualifying or authorizing a participant’s contest entry.


3.8 Fraud Ind� – Calculation

The Fraud Index is recalculated after each new vote and alert received.

The Fraud Index algorithm analyses the serious and minor alerts, and the

votes received.

The Fraud Index is represented as a percentage. We recommend that you

only disqualify users whose Fraud Index is equal or superior to 100.

The administrator can obtain an Easypromos Certificate of Validity for the

votes registered for a participant in case it becomes necessary to respond

to accusations made by users.

�ps and good practices

4.


�ps

If possible, avoid giving the prize to the most-voted user.

Recommended practices:

Don’t use Likes, Favs or RTs as voting mechanisms. These have been designed to express feelings, not as specialized voting mechanisms.

Hold a sweepstakes among users who’ve obtained 50 votes.

Let a jury select the winner from among contestants who’ve obtained at least 30 votes.


In your Legal Bases inform participants that you’ll be using the Fraud Index calculated by Easypromos as a determining factor for potentially disqualifying a user at the end of the voting period.

Don’t disqualify a user until the contest is over. A user who has been disqualified may react badly and leave negative com-ments about the brand, make false accusations against another participant, or cast false votes for a valid participant.

Don’t believe all accusations made by users. Some may be making false accusations in order to sabotage the contest or cast doubt on the validity of other participants. Inform those making such accusations that the organizer will evaluate the validity of an entry at the end of the contest using the Easypromos Fraud Index.

�ps

online voting contests - easypromos€¦ · in online voting contests beneﬁts for brands problems...

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