Attribution Fraud – The fake credit from ad marketing

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital advertising, where innovation and strategies continuously shape the way we promote products and services, the term 'ad marketing' has become a pervasive phrase. Ad marketing drives businesses forward, connecting brands with their target audience through various channels. However, within this dynamic realm, a sinister threat looms – attribution fraud. According to Statista, iOS apps had a post-attribution fraud rate of 20% in 2021. This deceptive practice has the potential to disrupt the very core of your marketing efforts, siphoning away the hard-earned credit that genuine campaigns deserve. Join us as we delve into the depths of attribution fraud, understanding its nuances, consequences, and measures to thwart its malicious impact.

What is attribution fraud?

Attribution fraud refers to the mobile fraud technique through which a fraudster aims at obtaining the credit for an organic install illegitimately and exploiting the “last-click attribution” model to spin huge sums of money. The last-click attribution model is deployed by advertisers who pay for the last click that triggers an app install. When such installs are deceitfully executed by fraudsters, the advertisers end up crediting the fraudster without realising the difference between a fake and a genuine click. This backfires the entire ad marketing process as advertisers pay the undeserving parties

How does the attribution fraud process work?

Though usually executed to reap the benefits of the last-click attribution model, attribution fraud can also be triggered in the following ways :

1. Cookie stuffing: By planting unauthorized cookies on users' devices, fraudsters attribute conversions to their campaigns, even if users never engaged with their ads.
2. Cross-Device fraud: Fraudsters exploit the challenge of tracking users across devices by claiming credit for conversions that were influenced by other devices.
   
3. App Install farms: Criminal networks establish networks of devices to falsely install apps, making it appear as if a marketing campaign led to these installations.
   
4. Pixel Manipulation: Fraudsters alter the tracking pixels on their websites to trick attribution systems into recording fake conversions, leading to improper allocation of credit.
   

Consequences of attribution fraud

The ill effects of attribution fraud ripple through every aspect of the ad marketing ecosystem. Advertisers are left in the dark about the actual impact of their campaigns. The efforts, time, and resources are misdirected, hampering their ability to refine strategies and optimize budgets. This misallocation can further distort the understanding of consumer behaviour and preferences.

For publishers, the impact is equally grim. The inventory's value takes a hit, as marketers question the legitimacy of the audience reach. Advertisers might shy away, sceptical of the returns on their investments. The trust between advertisers and publishers, the bedrock of the ad marketing landscape, begins to erode, casting a shadow of doubt over the industry's integrity.

How to deal with the challenges arising out of attribution fraud?

1. Self-monitoring- In the battle against attribution fraud, knowledge is your most potent weapon. Regularly monitor your campaigns for abnormal click patterns and suspiciously high conversion rates. If the estimated install rate and actual install rates are distances apart with the latter exceeding the former across all the campaigns, it’s time to take a break from executing further ad marketing campaigns and evaluate the metrics of existing ones in detail.
2. Invest in ad fraud management solutions- Dealing with multiple challenges in a single go can be a massive deterrent to sticking to the campaign calendars. In such cases, partnering with ad fraud management software like ClearTrust can help in controlling the fraud rates to a considerable extent. A seamless integration combined with detailed reporting and customized filters for invalid traffic will help you boost your actual installs with the right attribution.
3. Multi-touch attribution models -Employ multi-touch attribution models that consider the entire customer journey, reducing the reliance on a single touchpoint. By gathering data across various touchpoints, you gain a more accurate understanding of which channels truly deserve credit.
   
   Moreover, it is important to consider implementing strict validation processes for conversions, ensuring that only legitimate actions are counted. These measures empower both advertisers and publishers to sift through the noise, reclaiming the true essence of ad marketing.