> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://doc.trackrev.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Fraud detection

> How TrackRev catches self-referral abuse in credit programmes, and the commission controls for cash programmes.

The most common affiliate abuse is **self-referral** — someone referring themselves to farm a
signup reward. For credit (non-cash) programmes, TrackRev runs automatic self-referral checks and
blocks grants that look self-dealt.

## Self-referral checks (credit programmes)

When a referral qualifies, TrackRev compares the referee against the inviter. If any of these
match, the credit grant is written as **revoked** with a recorded reason:

| Reason                        | What it catches                                                                |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Same browser marker**       | The referee's browser holds the inviter's local marker — the strongest signal. |
| **Device match**              | Identical device fingerprint on both sides.                                    |
| **Same IP, different device** | Same IP address but two different devices — the classic roommate/NAT pattern.  |

<Note>
  A plain IP match with no device information is deliberately **not** blocked — it's too noisy on
  shared office and NAT networks. Blocks require a stronger signal than IP alone.
</Note>

Blocked grants appear on the **Credits** page under *"Blocked (self-referral)"* with a
human-readable reason such as *"Same browser as inviter"* or *"Same IP as inviter, different
device."* An admin can override a hard block if it's a legitimate case (e.g. genuine housemates).

## Controls for cash programmes

Cash commissions don't run the credit self-referral engine, but you have direct control via
commission statuses and approval:

* Use **Review each application** approval mode so you vet who joins before they can earn.
* Mark a suspicious commission **void** or **fraud** to exclude it from payouts.
* **Refunds** automatically reverse commissions, so a partner can't profit from a refunded sale.

<Tip>
  For programmes that pay a signup or lead reward (not just a sale), keep approval manual and
  watch the Customers list for patterns — a cluster of signups from one source that never convert
  is worth a closer look.
</Tip>