1. How Display Ad
Fraud Works
Dr. Augustine Fou
http://linkd.in/augustinefou
May 2013
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Augustine Fou

2. Bad Guys Put Up Sites
19 blocked ads on page
site = analyzecanceradvice .com
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Augustine Fou

3. Load Tons of Ads on Pages
http://modernbab y.com/
http://interiorcom plex.com/
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Augustine Fou

4. Load Ads in Hidden iFrames
Ads are hidden in up to 72
layers
Entire web pages are loaded
into ad iframes to boost
impressions
Multiple redirects and auto
page refreshes
Source: Spider.io May 2, 2013
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Augustine Fou

5. Fake their “Viewability”
Ads are above the
fold of the page
But their pixel
opacity can be set
to zero (invisible)
Entire web pages
stuffed into ad
iframe; ads counted
as viewable
Source: Spider.io May 2, 2013
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Augustine Fou

6. Use Bots to Load the Pages
Source: Wired
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Augustine Fou

7. Bot Generated Pageviews
Humans actually click
on buttons and menu
items (mouse
movements and clicks)
Bots don’t bother
disguising their click
locations and don’t
show mouse traces.
Source: Spider.io Feb 2013
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Augustine Fou

8. Low/No Value Pageviews
• Example of
unsophisticated bot
which hits the page
many times without
changing parameters
• Time on page is 3
seconds
• Only meant to generate
ad impressions
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Augustine Fou

9. Sell Impressions on Exchanges
“Modernbaby.com and Interiorcomplex.com
Each of these sites peddles enormous traffic on the
exchanges. For example, on a recent day Modern
Baby was offering 19 million impressions via one
exchange (quite the baby boom) and Interior
Complex 30 million [ad impressions PER DAY] (the
roaring housing market must be back).”
Source:
Adweek – Suspicious Web Domains Cost Online Ad
Business $400m per Year
By Mike Shields
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Augustine Fou

10. Ad Fraud Value Chain
impressions
clicks
Networks of fake content sites
designed to attract free organic
search traffic
Botnets generate fake pageviews
which produce ad impression
“inventory” (get paid for CPM)
leads
Click farms generate fake clicks (get
paid for CPC)
sales
Fake leads (get paid for CPL minus cost of
filling out lead forms)
Fake sales via affiliate revenue shares; money
laundering, especially on digital goods/subscriptions
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Augustine Fou

11. Related Articles
Humanness Pyramid for Ad Fraud Detection
By Augustine Fou, November 2013
Meet the Most Suspect Publishers on the Web
By: Mike Shields, March 19, 2013
Ad Waste Reduction is Critical for Advertisers
By: Augustine Fou, April 29, 2013
Botnet Traffic Clicks Cost Advertisers Millions in Waste
By: Augustine Fou, April 29, 2013
Ford, P&G And Others In Full-Scale Revolt Against Ad Price 'Arbitrage'
By: Jim Edwards, April 10, 2013
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Augustine Fou

12. Dr. Augustine Fou – Digital Consigliere
“I advise clients on optimizing
advertising and marketing spend; and
this includes reducing or eliminating
waste. In digital channels, the large
amounts of data allow us to detect and
mitigate quickly.”
FORMER CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER, HCG (OMNICOM)
MCKINSEY CONSULTANT
CLIENT SIDE / AGENCY SIDE EXPERIENCE
PROFESSOR AND COLUMNIST
ENTREPRENEUR / SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
PHD MATERIALS SCIENCE (MIT '95) AT AGE 23
ClickZ Articles: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-clickz
Slideshares: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-slideshares
LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/augustinefou
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@acfou
Augustine Fou