The Types of Ad Fraud and Why They Should Matter to You

1. The Types of Ad Fraud and Why They Should Matter to You Digital advertising is going through turbulent times, thanks to the emergence of ad fraud. As the ad tech industry continues to evolve, Due to the rise of ad fraud, the digital advertising industry is currently experiencing turbulence. Ad fraud is a problem for advertisers, but publishers are increasingly affected by it. While ad fraud is a reality for advertisers, its repercussions on publishers are becoming more significant. Every fraud is an intentionally deceptive action executed for unfair gains. Nowadays, fraudsters are siphoning ad dollars by executing ad frauds on a larger scale. Ad fraud is not a new phenomenon, as the first instances of PPC ad fraud originated in 2001. For publishers, knowing the most common ways behind the occurrence of ad fraud is vital for prevention. Ad fraud can drain advertisement budgets and can act as a hindrance to the marketers’ efforts. Digital advertisement fraud negatively affects spending optimization. Before delving into the types of ad fraud, let’s understand what ad fraud is. What is Ad Fraud, and why should one care? Ad fraud refers to the practice of fraudulently denoting clicks, traffic, conversions, etc., with the sole objective of generating revenue. It comprises a complicated phenomenon that negatively impacts publishers across formats. From affiliate marketing to video ads, ad fraud is present everywhere. Many individuals tend to believe that ad fraud can only affect advertisers. While ad fraud affects advertisers, it has serious repercussions for publishers too. For instance, the money intended for publishers ends up in the hands of the fraud perpetrators. And because of heightened industry awareness about advertisement fraud, publishers can lose ad networks without any fault. One of the devastating consequences of ad fraud is the erosion of trust between publishers and advertisers. The mistrust between these two parties can be detrimental to the health of the open web. Here are the types of ad fraud you should know. VIRUSPOSITIVEVipul Trade Center, Unit#130- Phone + 91 - 124 - 2666031 131,440, Sector-48, Gurugram-122001 Email- sales@viruspositive.com

2. Types of Ad Fraud Nowadays, publishers rely on ad fraud detection to manage their advertisement resources better. Here are the types of ad fraud every publisher and advertiser should know. Domain Spoofing Domain spoofing takes place when fraudsters represent themselves as publishers in the buying process. As a buyer, you will believe that your ads will be shown on premium platforms. But in reality, their ads reach low-quality platforms with lots of bots. In domain spoofing, fraudsters don’t always impersonate publishers. In most cases, fraudsters will establish a fake website and make it look like a legitimate platform for advertisements. Domain spoofing also refers to the practice of disguising a website as another, more useful website. The fraudsters then dupe advertisers to pay premium prices. Click Fraud Click fraud is another type of ad fraud that can have severe repercussions on your credibility. Click fraud happens in PPC advertising. It may involve a computer program like malware or humans. Nowadays, click fraud also involves automated scripts or malicious. The primary component of click fraud is illegitimate clicks which can inflate Cost-Per- Click’s value artificially. Click fraud is a serious concern among advertisers and publishers as it generates fake traffic. By generating fake traffic, click fraud increases the illegitimate revenue of the fraudsters. Click fraud and click flooding are closely associated. Click flooding is an advanced version of click fraud. Click flooding happens when a fake traffic source transmits fraudulent clicks to boost volumes. Lead Fraud Lead fraud is common in cost-per-lead advertising. Lead fraud happens when the lead providers leverage unfair means to generate leads. In lead fraud, the lead providers either buy an illegal contact information database or use crawler bots to collect buyers’ information. In lead fraud, fraudsters use VPN and proxy servers to generate false leads. Lead fraud is a menace in cost-per-lead advertising, and hence every publisher and advertiser should be aware of it. VIRUSPOSITIVEVipul Trade Center, Unit#130- Phone + 91 - 124 - 2666031 131,440, Sector-48, Gurugram-122001 Email- sales@viruspositive.com

3. Ad Injection Ad injection refers to a type of fraud where malicious actors leverage compromised browser extensions and plugins. Often, fraudsters use malware to insert ads where they shouldn’t appear. Ad injection is a serious form of fraud and can affect publishers adversely. In ad injection, fraudsters also rely on automated scripts to replace the existing ads operated by the publisher. In most cases, these ads are monetized through CPM and CPC models. With ad injection frauds, the malicious actors pocket the revenue of the ad even in the absence of legitimate inventory. Ad injection attacks are the biggest challenge nowadays for marketers. It is challenging because marketers may not immediately know that they are targeted. Ad fraud is of varied types, and hence you cannot rely on a single tactic to defend your advertisement resources. How to prevent Ad Fraud with Virus Positive Technologies? If you want to address issues associated with ad fraud, rely on Virus Positive Technologies. With their click fraud protection, you can now safeguard your advertisement resources. Virus Positive Technologies can help advertisers and publishers monitor traffic and ad quality. They also provide helpful insights which enable you to counter ad fraud. VIRUSPOSITIVEVipul Trade Center, Unit#130- Phone + 91 - 124 - 2666031 131,440, Sector-48, Gurugram-122001 Email- sales@viruspositive.com