What is Mobile Ad Fraud?
The term “mobile ad fraud” refers to the nefarious actions of cybercriminals, who attempt to fraudulently inflate the number of people who see advertisements. Doing so allows said cybercriminals to increase revenue, but at the expense of the companies paying for ads.
Types of Mobile Ad Fraud
There are three kinds of mobile ad fraud that you need to be aware of:
- Click Spam: When fraudsters execute a click for users, without their knowledge.
- Click Injection: When fraudsters publish Android apps, which listen to “install broadcasts,” then trigger clicks during the installation process to steal credit for installs.
- SDK Spoofing: When fraudsters use the data from real installs to create illegitimate ones. This is sometimes referred to as “traffic spoofing” or a “replay attack”.
How to Prevent Mobile Ad Fraud
Now that you know what mobile ad fraud is, you’re probably wondering, “How do I prevent mobile ad fraud from happening to me?” It’s a very good question. Here’s what we suggest:
Keep a close eye on your data. If your metrics don’t match, i.e. you have a super high click through rate, but a terrible conversion rate, you may be experiencing mobile ad fraud. You can also invest in technology that’s specifically designed to prevent fraudulent activity.
