Shawn Hogan and Brian Dunning both became millionaires (multiple times over) by exploiting eBay's affiliate marketing program. Hogan's fortune was particularly astounding; between 2005 and 2007, he amassed a total of $28 million, easily enough to make him eBay's most successful affiliate "partner" to date. And the secret behind all that wealth was fairly simple; each of the men developed a cookie that silently resided on a user's PC, falsely crediting their affiliate accounts for any eBay purchases made from then on. Both men have long maintained that executives at eBay were aware of their ingenuous tactics, but eventually the FBI came calling. Business Insider has the full story on Hogan and Dunning's quick rise to riches, and the ensuing legal battle that could land both men in prison for the next 20 years.