Phone Battery Drained? Might Be Ad Fraud
Programmatic has transformed the online advertising space, giving publishers and advertisers the tools to increase revenue and streamline the process.
But it has also opened the door for one of the industry’s major challenges.
Ad fraud plagues the entire online advertising ecosystem, forging clicks, stealing money and faking ads.
But when it comes to understanding what ad fraud actually is and how it can be addressed, many are still in the dark.
Sophos senior security expert John Shier gave B&T his best ad fraud definition.
“It’s advertisement revenue that is not going to the legitimate publishers, and it’s also advertisements that are not actually landing in front of actual consumers,” he said.
“Ad fraud has seen sustained growth over the last 10 years, because there’s a lot of money to be made, it’s a very low-risk venture and you don’t really have a scalability problem.”
To highlight this scalability, he compared ad fraud to real-world robbery.
“If you’re car thief, you have to keep finding nice, well-conditioned, luxury cars to keep stealing. That’s your supply and this a bit of a scaling issue,” Shier said.
“Whereas when you’re talking about things like mobile ads, the internet and digital age, that scaling issue goes away completely – you can reach thousands if not millions of users relatively easily.”
Mobile has become a hotbed for fraudulent activity of late. The continued rise of smartphones means there are now a host of app developers looking to maximise their revenue any way they can.
In a recent report, Sophos revealed it had encountered a host of Android apps with the sole purpose of maximising ad revenue.
These apps are essentially a bootlegged version of another app, but with advertising libraries added that aren’t from the original app.
how does it work?
Ad fraud is complex and there are a number of different ways it can occur.
For mobile specifically, ad fraud has become entangled with apps, as developers look for ways to monetise their product.
“If we just focus on the mobile devices and the apps themselves, app developers will often use advertisements inside their apps in order to generate revenue for the app,” explained Shier.
Specifically developed instructions that falsify clicks on ads are used as a way to convince advertisers their content has been a hit among users.
These fraudulent clicks are then used to ensure the advertising affiliate is paid the premium amount, whether ‘genuine’ clicks were garnered or not.
By reporting a falsified User-Agent string to advertisers, these apps can make it appear as though the fake clicks from a single app on one phone actually came from a range of apps on multiple devices (including iPhones).
There are also problems on the supply-side, Shier said.
“The publishers themselves can be fraudulent. They’re going to basically pretend that they’re putting ads in front of people,” he said.
“They might do that through any number of compromises, but basically they can say to the merchant ‘I put your ad in front of in front of 1000 people’, when really they haven’t. They’ve just faked that they put the ad in front of 1000 people.
At the ground level
The effects of ad fraud can now even be seen at the consumer level. These dodgy apps consume a huge amount of data – even if the phone is in sleep mode – resulting in reduced battery life and even higher data charges.
And while for some this could be a small price to pay for a free app, Shier urged users to show some discretion to help stamp out the problem.
“You may not be feeling the sting yourself as the consumer of an app,” he said.
“If you just get a free app, and there might be some ad fraud associated with that. Your device might get a little bit slow and hot, your battery might drain a little quicker, but you’re not feeling any financial hit.
“That betrays the fact there’s a lot of app developers out there who are trying to get cool apps developed by using this ad ecosystem.
“If they’re being lumped in, or the water is being muddied by all these ad fraudsters and cybercriminals, then they’re not getting their fair share either.
“As a consumer of apps, I would say, be a little bit more discerning when it comes to loading these apps on your phone.”
Latest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.