Mobile Ad Fraud Report

[Graybeard]

When you buy ads as an ad network, and when passed through to you the buyer of ads from that network, you get ripped off when the ads sent to you are not properly moderated and filtered.

>>>Google regularly removes malware, including apps from Google Play, but often the damage has been done: many of those apps reach millions of users before getting banned from app stores.

Millions of devices are already infected, providing an attack node for fraudsters, making those devices an easy way to steal organic users or to launch even more sophisticated attacks.

Because of this, we do not expect a decrease in the number of fraudulent engagements in the near future.<<<

Source: Interceptd | Mobile Ad Fraud Prevention Tool
Blog: Interceptd | Resources

So, if you mobile ads are not converting as expected ...

 

[azgold]

Well, isn't that cheery news.

How do you tell the good guys from the bad guys these days? Well, unless you have the killer skills of @Graybeard.

 

[Graybeard]

20% to 40% of your ad budget may be wasted money if you are buying ads based on price only.
Any ad network using effective filtering will be charging more for their 'qualified' traffic.
I think fraud in ad clicks is more a slippage issue that anything else --how much garbage slips through that you are billed for.

Worst part is how this really clouds the metrics that you want to use for optimization ...

 

[azgold]

Any ad network using effective filtering will be charging more for their 'qualified' traffic.

Don't think you'd want any other kind. Qualified, I mean. Assuming it is adequately filtered.