Who are drops and drop handlers?

Hello, community! Today, we’re diving into a serious topic that hasn’t received the attention it deserves. We’re talking about drops and drop handlers—who they are, why they exist, and whether their activities are legal. Let’s break it down in today’s overview.

Before we begin, let’s remind you that we always share the most important updates from the world of affiliate marketing, providing you with top-notch cases and advice. Recently, we discussed how to warm up an account using AI. Highly recommended reading!

Drop vs. Drop-Domain – Two Different Things

First, let’s clarify that a drop-domain refers to an unused domain name that can be purchased, for example, through an auction.

Drop-domains are particularly popular among affiliates because domain names with a history often have higher trust levels in search engine rankings. If you’re aiming to benefit from free organic traffic, a drop-domain can be your ally.

However, in the context of today’s discussion, we’re talking about drops as individuals used in various gray-area schemes.

Who is a Drop?

A drop is a person who, in exchange for compensation, agrees to provide their personal and contact information or perform specific tasks such as registering and verifying accounts for casinos or betting companies, opening bank accounts, obtaining cards, and so on.

How does this work in practice? For instance, you might be unable to open a bank account because the institution has blocked you due to debts. However, for your project, you specifically need an account with that bank. What do you do? You find someone willing to open the account in their name, but you will use it later. That person is the drop.

Ideally, drops participate willingly. In reality, many become drops involuntarily. There are two types of drops:

Voluntary drops who knowingly accept the risks associated with this work;
Involuntary drops whose data and documents are used without their consent through fraudulent schemes. These are often called “scheme drops,” obtained through scams like fake mobile apps or job interviews.

The type of drop determines your ability to collaborate with them in the future. A willing drop might participate in additional projects, while an unwitting one might report the fraud, block their SIM cards, or even change their tax identification number.

If you decide to work with drops, it’s better to engage those who willingly participate. We strongly oppose fraudulent methods in affiliate marketing!

Moreover, finding drops isn’t too difficult. There are specialists, known as drop handlers, who recruit and introduce drops to affiliate marketers.

Who Are Drop Handlers?

A drop handler is someone who finds drops, establishes connections with them, and links them to clients, often affiliates. This requires a unique mindset and value system, as drops are often victims. While they may voluntarily share their data and open accounts, they rarely understand how this information will be used.

Therefore, drop handlers are usually not very empathetic individuals. If you aim to pursue this “profession” within an affiliate marketing team, you need to be aware of this.

Drop handlers operate as follows:

Recruit drops through classified ads;
Expand their drop database by incentivizing existing drops to refer friends for additional rewards.

Interestingly, a drop who recruits another drop also becomes a drop handler—at least legally.

A successful drop handler aims to build a pyramid-like structure, working only with drops who are easy to locate for future projects. This ensures a stable business model.

What Are the Risks of Working with Drops?

Risks depend on how the drop is used, the client’s actions, and the legality of the operation. While drop handlers usually act as intermediaries, they may face legal consequences if they directly participate in schemes involving personal data fraud.

If a drop account is used for serious criminal activities, such as money laundering, both the drop and the user of the account can face prosecution. Drop handlers often cooperate with investigations to avoid being charged as accomplices.

Conclusion

Drops are a risky and controversial topic. Even when they voluntarily open accounts, they rarely understand the implications. Drop handlers, while not inherently fraudulent, exploit vulnerabilities and face challenges like being falsely accused by drops they worked with.

Have you worked with drops or unknowingly been part of a gray scheme? Share your experiences in our Telegram community, where we discuss these and other important topics!

Stay safe, Your Geek!