Fraud Prevention in Mobile Advertising: A Publisher and Advertiser Guide

Mobile ad fraud costs the industry billions annually. Here's how to protect yourself.

Types of Mobile Ad Fraud

1. Click Injection

Fraudsters inject fake clicks just before legitimate installs to claim attribution credit.

2. SDK Spoofing

Fake install events sent directly to attribution platforms without actual installs.

3. Click Farms

Human or bot farms generating fraudulent engagement and installs.

4. Device Farms

Networks of physical devices used to simulate legitimate user behavior.

5. Install Hijacking

Intercepting legitimate installs to redirect attribution.

Detection Methods

For Publishers

• Anomaly Detection

- Unusual traffic patterns

- Suspicious conversion rates

- Geographic inconsistencies

• Device Fingerprinting

- Unique device identification

- Cross-check against known fraud patterns

• Behavioral Analysis

- User engagement metrics

- Session duration and depth

- In-app purchase patterns

For Advertisers

• Click-to-Install Time Analysis

- Unusually fast installations

- Patterns suggesting automation

• Retention Metrics

- Low D1/D7 retention rates

- Zero in-app engagement

• Geographic Verification

- IP location vs. device location

- VPN/proxy detection

Prevention Strategies

Technical Measures

• Server-to-Server (S2S) Tracking

- More secure than client-side

- Harder to manipulate

• Multi-Touch Attribution

- Complete view of user journey

- Identify suspicious patterns

• Device Authentication

- Verify device legitimacy

- Check for emulators/simulators

• Real-Time Monitoring

- Immediate fraud detection

- Automatic blocking of suspicious traffic

Partnership Best Practices

✅ Work with verified partners

✅ Implement strict quality guidelines

✅ Regular fraud audits

✅ Transparent reporting

✅ Clear fraud policies

Red Flags

🚩 Impossibly high conversion rates

🚩 Zero post-install engagement

🚩 Bulk installs from same IPs

🚩 Unusual click patterns

🚩 Mismatched location data

GemiAd's Fraud Prevention

Our multi-layer approach includes:

• Advanced machine learning detection
• Real-time traffic analysis
• Device fingerprinting
• Behavioral analytics
• S2S verification
• Manual review processes

Building Trust

• Transparency: Clear reporting and communication
• Quality Control: Strict publisher/advertiser vetting
• Continuous Monitoring: 24/7 fraud detection
• Industry Collaboration: Sharing fraud intelligence
• Regular Audits: Third-party verification

Taking Action

For Publishers:

• Monitor traffic quality
• Report suspicious activity
• Maintain clean inventory
• Partner with trusted platforms

For Advertisers:

• Set up proper attribution
• Track post-install events
• Monitor retention metrics
• Work with fraud-aware partners

Protect your business by choosing partners who prioritize fraud prevention. GemiAd's commitment to quality ensures clean traffic for advertisers and premium demand for publishers.