{"id":16093,"date":"2018-11-06T08:33:20","date_gmt":"2018-11-06T16:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/?p=16093"},"modified":"2022-08-18T15:01:01","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T22:01:01","slug":"mobile-ad-fraud-ignorance-is-not-bliss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/blog\/mobile-ad-fraud-ignorance-is-not-bliss\/","title":{"rendered":"Mobile Ad Fraud: Ignorance is Not Bliss"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=&#8221;in_container&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][vc_row_inner column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221;][vc_column_inner column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][image_with_animation image_url=&#8221;16134&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; animation=&#8221;None&#8221; border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; box_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; margin_top=&#8221;50&#8243; margin_bottom=&#8221;50&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]\u201cData is the new oil.\u201d It\u2019s a fitting metaphor for today\u2019s digital information landscape. Data \u201cfuels\u201d any number of industries and arguably many facets of our daily lives. Like oil, it must be refined from its impurities to be used efficiently. Unlike oil, however, data is an unregulated resource, full of impurities stemming from rampant fraud. According to Juniper Research, ad fraud is estimated to cost <b>$19 billion<\/b> this year and rise to <b>$44 billion<\/b> by 2022. Left unaddressed, fraud will taint a brand\u2019s marketing data and strategic decisions made based on that data can become errant\u2014if not downright dangerous.\r\n<h4>Ignoring mobile ad fraud doesn&#8217;t mean it\u2019s not there<\/h4>\r\nAs a mobile measurement provider, Kochava receives and transmits data signals to and from media partners on behalf of marketers. This process facilitates conversion attribution against billions of dollars in ad spend each year. More often than not, we detect fraudulent noise in the data signal from partners, which muddies the data insights marketers need for planning future campaigns.\r\n\r\nThis influx of fraud is a direct response to the mobile advertising industry\u2019s thirst for fresh inventory and reliance on the last-click attribution model. It <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/detecting-fraud-counting-clicks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">incentivizes<\/a> maintaining last touch which often takes the form of publishers flooding their channels with spurious clicks to maintain recency. Kochava data science has observed that the partners with the highest volumes often have an increased incidence of fraudulent clicks and installs:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The top 10 highest volume (not highest performing) partners account for 84% of the fraudulent click volume.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>27% of the installs driven by these same partners are fraudulent.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nBecause so many marketers run with these high volume media partners, fraud is present in their campaigns and compromises their ability to perform accurate marketing analyses. With millions of ad spend dollars at stake, marketers would be remiss to not pursue fraud protection.\r\n<h4>Marketers should be outraged<\/h4>\r\nWhile the estimated costs of ad fraud vary, the consensus is that it\u2019s in the billions of dollars. So where\u2019s the uprising among marketers?\r\n\r\nFraud is theft, which has never been an accepted practice in general society or business, so why should mobile ad fraud be regarded differently? It shouldn\u2019t. This is one reason we compiled the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/kochava-traffic-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kochava Traffic Index<\/a>\u2014to show how media partners compare against each other in the fraud arena. From this endeavor, it is clear that marketers are not without allies and partners in the ongoing battle against fraud. In the Q3 2018 release of the index, the media platform Pinsight ranked first among media partners evaluated with the lowest percentage of fraud.\r\n\r\n\u201cPinsight is committed to fighting fraud and offering the highest quality traffic to our advertising customers. Being ranked among the top five in the Kochava Traffic Index is an achievement we are proud of,\u201d said Brian Smith, COO of Pinsight.\r\n\r\nMedia partners can and must restore data integrity and data clarity to the stream of impressions and clicks they send to measurement partners. This data stream, which we term \u201cad signal,\u201d is the lifeblood of clean, clear measurement on which marketers rely so heavily. The index is a major step toward helping marketers find partners who are making effective progress in this regard.\r\n\r\nIn evaluating partners for ad fraud, click flooding remains one of the most prevalent tactics, albeit the elephant in the room. Some publisher and\/or sub-publisher sites continually yield thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions of clicks per install. This is not reflective of normal human ad clicking behavior. If a marketer is being fed this story by a media partner, alarm bells should be ringing. Even more so, be wary of a media partner who claims that clicks don\u2019t matter because you\u2019re only paying on cost per install.\r\n<h4>Educate yourself: Knowledge is power<\/h4>\r\nThe best way for marketers to fight fraud is to get informed and use the anti-fraud tools available today to shift the odds in their favor. There are automated tools and quick lessons that go a long way toward helping marketers understand how they are being defrauded. Familiarizing themselves with these tools will empower them in the defense of their campaigns and ad spend.\r\n\r\nMarketers can educate themselves about the most common types of fraud and how they\u2019re detected. Check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/fraud-abatement-series-grant-simmons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">multi-part series<\/a> written by Grant Simmons, head of client analytics at Kochava. Gaining this firm foundation is important for confidently discussing traffic anomalies with a partner and negotiating possible make-goods.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221;][vc_column_inner column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][image_with_animation image_url=&#8221;16134&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; animation=&#8221;None&#8221; border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; box_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; margin_top=&#8221;50&#8243; margin_bottom=&#8221;50&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]\r\n<h4>Activate automated anti-fraud tools<\/h4>\r\nActivate automated, machine-learning tools like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/fraud-console\/#fraud-part-five\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Global Fraud Blocklist<\/a>. It\u2019s as simple as the flip of a toggle. This one step will protect a marketer from the most blatant and egregious fraud actors in the ecosystem. The Blocklist is a dynamic list of known fraudulent entities that uses machine learning to identify and add new entities from which to block data.\r\n\r\nAlso included in our fraud prevention suite is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/fraud-console\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fraud Console<\/a>, an interactive dashboard that visualizes anomalous outliers and abnormal trends indicative of fraud. With the click of a checkbox, marketers can begin building their own, custom blocklist for tighter protection.\r\n\r\nTactics identified include:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Click spamming\/flooding: High click-to-install rates mean the wrong channel is being credited with attribution and that organic installs are possibly being stolen<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Click injection: Surfaces abnormally short time-to-install<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAd stacking: One ad is shown, but multiple ads hidden behind it send clicks\r\n\r\nWorking with Kochava Client Success Managers, marketers can also use the Fraud Console to export reports and approach media partners if make-goods are necessary.\r\n<h4>A new reference on inventory performance<\/h4>\r\nThe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/kochava-traffic-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kochava Traffic Index<\/a>, a free quarterly report, is the latest tool helping marketers choose partners with quality traffic. The index is a \u201cwindow into media partners\u201d where marketers can see how partners\u2019 inventory scored before running campaigns with a new partner. Partners are ranked by four key metrics:\r\n\r\nSignal clarity: purity of the impression and click data sent\r\nFraud: the percentage of fraud in the data delivered to Kochava\r\nQuality: percentage of users retained beyond 30 days\r\nCorrelation: the strength of the relationship between clicks and installs\r\n\r\nUse the report to compare the partners you\u2019re already running with or to research new ones.\r\n<h4>Approach media partners with confidence<\/h4>\r\nKochava has been an industry leader in investigating mobile ad fraud and developing a set of tools to empower our customers in the fight against fraud. If a partner hasn\u2019t ranked well on the index, or a Fraud Console report shows anomalous data, we can help with the necessary steps to mitigate fraud and improve campaign performance.\r\n\r\nWe\u2019ve had customers unsure of how to approach media partners who claim their data anomalies are normal. With an understanding of fraud metrics, our customers have the evidence and confidence to explain the anomalies in their campaign data and resolve the issues.\r\n\r\nReach out to your Client Success Manager for support, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/get-started\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Contact Us<\/a> about getting started with Kochava.\r\n\r\nEducational resources FYI:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/fraud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Overview of Fraud<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/fraud-abatement-series-grant-simmons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fraud abatement series<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/kochava-traffic-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kochava Traffic Index<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/incentives-for-fraud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Market Incentives That Drive Fraud<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=&#8221;No Line&#8221; custom_height=&#8221;40&#8243;]<div class=\"sharing-default-minimal\"><div class=\"nectar-social default\" data-position=\"left\" data-color-override=\"override\"><div class=\"nectar-social-inner\"><a class='facebook-share nectar-sharing' href='#' title='Share this'>  <i class='fa fa-facebook'><\/i> <span class='social-text'>Share<\/span> <\/a><a class='twitter-share nectar-sharing' href='#' title='Share this'> <i class='fa icon-salient-x-twitter'><\/i> <span class='social-text'>Share<\/span> <\/a><a class='linkedin-share nectar-sharing' href='#' title='Share this'> <i class='fa fa-linkedin'><\/i> <span class='social-text'>Share<\/span> <\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row type=&#8221;in_container&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221;&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":21853,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16093","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news-and-updates"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16093"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40773,"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16093\/revisions\/40773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kochava.com\/ko\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}