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PPC FRAUD:

Protecting Against

Click Fraud

unning paid advertisements within the of website visitors, who may not be paying but without experiencing any benefit from the
Radult industry can be a tricky business. directly for the information or services which impression. Implicitly, both the advertising
Many of the companies that are willing to work they are accessing. Many adult websites take network and the website displaying the ad
with adult websites are questionable at best, advantage of this advertising model, while benefit financially from this impression.
and some of the practices that they employ simultaneously advertising their own services
aren’t exactly above-board. One of the most through paid ads on other websites. Other PPC fraud may be carried out by a low-wage
insidious is PPC fraud, otherwise known as types of websites which frequently engage in worker. Worker-based PPC fraud is frequently
“click fraud.” Click fraud is a growing problem this type of advertising include Amazon affiliate located out of India, elsewhere in southeast
within the paid digital advertising industry, and sites, news media and information websites, Asia, or in eastern Europe. Click fraud may
for adult website operators in particular. It takes and successful blogs. also be engaged in, even more affordably, by
advantage of a popular form of advertising in a a mobile app or traditional computer software
way that is difficult to demonstrate, and virtually When a user viewing an ad in their Web browser program, or “bot.” These types of click fraud
impossible to prosecute. Even the existence of clicks on the ad, the account which purchased can be mounted from anywhere in the world,
PPC fraud is controversial, despite the impact the ad is debited, and the account which is and at minimal expense. A single fraudulent
it has on many websites; the best practices for displaying the advertisement is credited for its impression may only result in a few cents being
dealing with click fraud involve the avoidance share. There may be other requisite conditions lost, but any form of click fraud is capable of
of problematic advertising networks. involved, depending upon the network: for generating thousands of false impressions
example, the visitor may have to spend a in a relatively short span of time. A clever
certain amount of time on the destination fraud may target multiple sites, industries or
What is PPC advertising?
website before money exchanges hands. They networks, resulting in millions of dollars worth
may have to perform some specific action, such of damages over time.
Large networks, such as Google AdSense,
as sign up for an email list, or make a purchase.
sell advertising space to clients who wish to
Smaller, highly specialized networks
market goods, services, or charitable causes
sometimes engage in this behavior, along with
online. Other website owners are then paid, by How Does PPC Fraud Work?
websites which earn a substantial amount of
the network, to display these advertisements.
money through displaying advertisements.
Ads are typically targeted at websites from a Given the potential complexity of the pay-
There are other frequent perpetrators, however.
similar industry, which fit a compatible profile; per-click advertisement model, the method
Sometimes, the fraud is carried out by an
in other words, the network itself tries to match by which pay-per-click fraud is committed is
agency which does not stand to benefit directly
ads with relevant audiences, thereby increasing extremely simple. Those who are hurt by PPC
from their scheme. They may be a competing
engagement. fraud include websites, particularly smaller
advertising network, or a competing website.
websites with lower advertising budgets, who
Some hackers and other cybercriminals have
Ad spaces on the most highly visible networks bid for ad spots in the first place. Websites
been known to engage in PPC fraud for the
are usually auctioned off based on keywords. which have a limited selection of networks to
same reasons that petty criminals vandalize
A popular keyword can cost an advertiser $10 choose from, such as highly specialized or
advertisements in real life, which range from
or more per click to secure, while less common adult websites, are particularly vulnerable to
personal or political vendettas, to the sheer
keywords may top out at $0.10 or less per this practice, since affordable rates can make
thrill of getting away with causing mayhem.
click. Either way, the cost of pay-per-click shady networks look superficially appealing.
advertising can quickly run away from the
inexperienced administrator. This is a part of Click fraud occurs when someone with an How to Protect Yourself from
what makes PPC fraud so frustrating. immediately vested interest in seeing the ad Click Fraud
clicked engages the advertisement in a manner
This advertising model is a significant source that imitates the action of a legitimate visitor, Click fraud is difficult to prove, and even more
of funding for many popular websites. It helps charging for an impression, despite having no difficult to prosecute. Very simply, it’s difficult
to offset their operating costs, and it provides actual interest in the destination website. The to tell who is behind a Web browser, or what
a source of income based upon the activity purchaser of the advertisement is charged, they want. In particular, a human-run agency

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