mFilterIt
Contact Us
mfilterit

mFilterIt Experts

Decoding complex digital challenges like ad fraud, brand safety, brand protection, and ecommerce intelligence for brands to help them advertise fearlessly.

Marketer’s Guide to Ad Fraud – What it is and How to Solve it

Marketer’s Guide to Ad Fraud – What it is and How to Solve it

Guide, Ad Traffic Validation /

If your campaigns are costing you more than they’re performing, it’s time to rebuild your strategy, because the issue might be lying in your traffic itself. Ad fraud has become one of the biggest reasons impacting your campaigns and marketing budgets across walled gardens, open networks, affiliate platforms, apps, and programmatic ecosystems. The first half of 2025 recorded an average global ad fraud rate of 39.7%, and fraud peaked at 49% in June, the highest in five years. With AI-driven bots, fake users, and manipulated attribution becoming more advanced, the financial impact is far deeper than most marketers realize. Therefore, to help you get clarity, this guide will help you understand what ad fraud looks like today, where it hides, how it impacts real performance, and what you can do to protect your budgets with the right validation strategies. What is Ad Fraud?   Ad fraud is the deliberate manipulation of advertising systems to generate illegitimate revenue by simulating real user interactions, such as clicks, installs, or views, without actual consumer interest.   The lost advertising money is not the only obvious impact of fraudulent activities. Since fraudsters manipulate the most important ad performance metrics, they also skew the insights marketers and advertising teams may draw from those metrics. The impact from this, in many cases, leads to a long-term negative impact on the brand’s advertising efforts.    The problem is made worse because of the availability of options for fraudsters.    Let’s look at some of the most common methods and techniques employed by fraudsters to scam honest advertisers.   What are the Different Types of Ad Fraud? [Channel-wise Fraud] Types of Web Ad Fraud Web advertising remains one of the most vulnerable digital channels because of the open networks and automated programmatic advertising ecosystem, that makes it challenging to track and verify the legitimacy of each impression and click. Here are the common types of web ad fraud techniques every advertiser must be aware of:   Click Fraud As the name suggests, click fraud involves generating fake clicks on pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. Many fraudsters use simple bots to generate these fake clicks. However, most ad networks and platforms can now detect fake clicks coming from simple bots. To overcome this, fraudsters have started developing and deploying sophisticated bots that can mimic human-user behavior and fool the algorithms of the ad platforms.    In some cases, specifically in less developed countries, fraudsters employ cheap labor on “click farms” to generate fake clicks without attracting suspicion from ad networks.    Impression Fraud Impression fraud involves fraudsters creating fake impressions on ads that pay in exchange for those impressions.    This type of fraud also often involves bots to create fake traffic that can be used to register impressions on ads. Tech-savvy fraudsters may also use more sophisticated methods such as pixel stuffing or ad stacking.   With pixel stuffing, the fraudsters “stuff” the ad into a single pixel on their webpage. This way, when a real user visit said webpage, they don’t see the ad and the fraud publisher still ends up getting paid for that impression.    Similarly, ad stacking involves “stacking” multiple ads on top of each other in a single ad space on the webpage. This way, when the user visits the page, they may see just one ad, but the fraud publisher will get paid for all the ads stacked in the ad space.    Domain Spoofing Domain spoofing is a type of ad fraud where a fraudster tricks advertisers into thinking their ads are showing on popular, trustworthy websites. However, in reality, the ads run on low-quality MFA (Made for Advertisements) websites or even fake websites.  The primary goal is usually to steal sensitive information like login credentials, generate fake leads, and earn money.   In digital terms, the fraudsters change the website’s identity by using a spoofed domain name, elements, and visuals (similar to that of a legitimate website like a well-known press release page) during the ad auction process, so it appears to be a premium site. Advertisers end up paying high prices, thinking their ad is being seen by a valuable audience, but it’s actually wasted on irrelevant or fake traffic, hurting performance, ad budgets, and brand safety.   Cookie Stuffing Cookie stuffing is one of the common ad fraud tactics used by fraudsters to manipulate affiliate marketing performance. This happens when a fraudulent affiliate secretly “stuffs” or adds multiple affiliate tracking cookies into a user’s browser without their knowledge or action.   These cookies are meant to track if the user later makes a purchase on a brand’s site. If they do, the fraudster earns a commission, even though they didn’t contribute to the sale. It’s like someone secretly putting their referral name on your order so they can get credit. This affiliate fraud tactic hurts brands because it inflates affiliate payouts, messes up marketing data, and steals credit from genuine affiliates who actually put real efforts to earn the sale.   Geo Masking Geo masking, also known as location fraud, is another type of web ad fraud where the actual location of the user is hidden or faked to make it appear as if they are from a targeted region.  Fraudsters use various methods like using proxy servers, or VPNs to route invalid traffic through target locations spoofing GPS data and IP addresses.    Fraudsters do this to trick advertisers into paying higher rates for traffic that looks like it’s genuine, when it’s really coming from irrelevant regions, misleading performance metrics and further campaign optimization.   Types of Mobile Ad Fraud With the expansive growth in app-based marketing and the complexity of attribution models, mobile apps have become a breeding ground for highly sophisticated ad fraud. These fraud types manipulate app installs, in-app engagements, and user attribution at each stage of the funnel using following techniques:   Install Fraud Install fraud is a type of mobile ad fraud and involves faking app installs to scam advertisers that operate on cost-per-install (CPI) campaigns.   Fraudsters may employ simple or sophisticated techniques to execute this type of fraud. Simpler techniques

Marketer’s Guide to Ad Fraud – What it is and How to Solve it Read More »

win the digital shelf with ecommerce analytics

Win the Digital Shelf This Festive Season with Data-Driven Ecommerce Analytics

Blog, Digital Shelf Analytics /

Festive season is around the corner, and the most challenging times for ecommerce brands as well. The battle to win on the digital shelf and ultimately the conversion is real.  It’s that time of the year when traffic is peaking on ecommerce platforms because of festive sales like Big Billion Days, Great Indian Festival, etc. The consumer intent is high and willing to spend during this time  According to a RedSeer report, festive season sales accounted for $9.2 billion in revenue in 2021 alone. Moreover, according to a report by KPMG India, the festive season generates up to 30-40% of annual retail sales. But with this surge in opportunity comes a sharp rise in complexity – more competition, fluctuating prices, last-minute stockouts, unpredictable consumer behavior, and an overwhelming amount of data scattered across platforms.   However, amid the chaos of flash sales, ad campaigns, and instant demands, brands can’t afford to rely on guesswork or delayed reporting.  And here’s the harsh truth: every missed keyword, every out-of-stock product, every ranking position lost gives an edge to your competitor who is doing all the above.   That’s why leveraging a real-time ecommerce analytics solution isn’t just helpful; it’s essential. To win sales, and more customers during this festive season, brands must operate with complete clarity on what’s working, what’s not, and what needs immediate action. Because in a market where every second counts, only those who can see and act faster will own the digital shelf.   In this article, we will talk about the challenges ecommerce brands face during mega sale campaigns/festive season sales and what ecommerce brands should focus on during peak times.  Challenges Ecommerce Brands Face During Festive Season Sales It’s easy to be caught up in dashboards, creatives, and campaign calendars. But if you zoom in, there are deeper challenges that affect outcomes throughout the process, and many ecommerce teams miss them until it’s too late.   1. Limited Visibility into SKU Performance Even the best-selling products can lose sales if they’re not consistently available or properly listed across platforms. During the high traffic periods – availability is opportunity. If your shoppers are exploring and don’t find your product on the digital shelf, they will move to the next best option. And for you, it’s just a lost opportunity. While being present is important, it is also essential to do a continuous scan to avoid out-of-stock situations and not appearing for the competitive keywords.    These blind spots are often only caught when it’s too late. Without real-time visibility into SKU-level performance insights, brands risk losing high-intent buyers in the most critical hours.   2. Inconsistent Product Details on Various Platforms You’ve invested in driving traffic, but if your product page has low-resolution images, outdated specs, or a missing description, it directly impacts consumer behavior, their decision making and kills conversion.   The complexity of this challenge is that ecommerce platforms often display different versions of your product content, especially when multiple sellers are involved. This inconsistency across PDPs not only looks unprofessional but can also lead to poor SEO rankings and reduced shelf visibility, costing you valuable clicks.  3. Price Undercutting and Discount Violations Everyone wants to be the cheapest during a sale, and sometimes resellers/competitors take that a little too far. Unauthorized discounting or MAP violations often go unchecked during peak periods.   While this might spike short-term sales for violators, it damages your brand’s perceived value, confuses customers, and disrupts your pricing strategy and even campaigns running for particular products.   4. Delayed Response to Competitor Actions During the festive season you might also see a lot of new competitors emerging with aggressive pricing plays, and flash campaigns. And if your team isn’t tracking these shifts of pricing in real time, your brand risks falling behind.   Knowing who’s gaining visibility, what keywords they’re winning on, and how they’re bundling or discounting helps you respond quickly and protect your share of shelf and avoid loss of revenue.   5. Disconnected Media and Shelf Performance  Running ad campaigns and making sure they are working in your favor are two different things. Many ecommerce teams measure clicks and impressions but fail to link them to what matters: improved product rank, better keyword positioning, and higher conversions.  If your ad budget isn’t moving the needle on your shelf presence, it’s time to question where and how you’re spending. Media and shelf performance must be aligned for your campaigns to deliver real ROI.   6. Struggling to Stay Discoverable in Crowded Search Results Discoverability is the first touchpoint to even be considered. However, with hundreds of brands competing for the same keywords, simply being listed on a platform doesn’t guarantee visibility. Festive sales demand aggressive yet mindful keyword bidding, and organic placements become harder to maintain.   If your product isn’t ranking on the first few scrolls, you’re invisible to most shoppers. And the worst part is you might be bidding on the wrong keywords or missing out on search trends altogether.    7. Poor Product Availability During Peak Times It’s frustrating when your campaigns are performing well, but the product isn’t available in key regions or goes out of stock right in the middle of a peak day. Stock availability across SKUs, platforms, and cities can make or break festive performance.   Consumers don’t wait; they simply move to the next best option. Without proactive availability tracking and alerts, brands risk losing sales not because of strategy, but because of a lack of visibility into inventory gaps.  Here’s How Leveraging Ecommerce Analytics Solution Helps You Take Back Control To thrive during high demand periods like festive season sales ecommerce brands need more than dashboards, they need real-time, platform-specific, SKU-level intelligence that turns complexity into clarity, and data into actionable insights.  This is exactly where our ecommerce intelligence solution – mScanIt helps. It is an AI powered analytics tool that empowers ecommerce, media, and content teams with real-time, granular, and actionable insights, so you can make smarter decisions, faster.  Here’s how mScanIt helps you overcome the festive season chaos and

Win the Digital Shelf This Festive Season with Data-Driven Ecommerce Analytics Read More »

Impression Spam

What is Impression Spam? Know How It Impacts App Campaigns.

Blog, Ad Fraud /

While marketers focus on driving installs and scaling campaigns, there’s a silent threat that’s bleeding budgets dry – Impression Spam. These are fake or hidden impressions generated to manipulate attribution models and steal credit for app installs, especially through View-Through Attribution (VTA). On the surface, everything looks great. High impression counts, rising install numbers, good reach. But beneath, you’ll often find invalid impressions that were never actually seen by real users. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if your VTA numbers are spiking without corresponding clicks, your ads are likely being targeted. Impression spam doesn’t just distort your data; it rewards fraudsters, inflates costs, and hijacks installs that should have been credited to genuine traffic or organic users. That’s where impression validation becomes non-negotiable. In this article, we’ll talk about how impression spam works, what red flags to watch for, and how mFilterIt helps you bring transparency back to your attribution funnel with impression integrity. Why Impression Spam Happens? Most marketers use both Click-Through Attribution (CTA) and View-Through Attribution (VTA) to measure performance. While CTA requires a user to click on an ad before converting, VTA allows installs to be credited based solely on an impression, if the user later installs the app within the attribution window. This is where the impression fraud creeps in. VTA opens the door for bad actors to take advantage of attribution systems, inflate VTA that allow installs to be attributed even when no click happens, just by showing an impression. What is the Difference Between Click Through Attribution & View Through Attribution? While both CTA and VTA serve distinct purposes in performance measurement, their attribution mechanics differ significantly. Here’s How:   Why is High VTA Ratio a Problem? One of the major indicators of impression spam is an abnormally high View-Through Attribution (VTA) rate, particularly when it significantly exceeds your Click-Through Attribution (CTA) numbers. As a general benchmark, if more than 60% of your attributed installs are coming through VTA, it calls for a close audit. It is very less likely for a user to see an ad, not click on it but remember it and later search for the app on play store to install. This kind of user journey is possible, but when it appears on a scale, it’s statistically improbable. An inflated VTA rate often signals that impressions are being generated in unusual ways: Impression stuffing: Multiple invisible ads loaded at once, none of which are truly viewable. Background ad rendering: Ads shown in hidden browser tabs or apps running in the background. Bot traffic: Automated scripts mimic user behavior, including fake impressions and subsequent app installs, to game attribution making it appear as though an ad influenced the install. When in reality, no meaningful user engagement occurs. And while these installs might look normal on the surface (matching attribution windows, geographies, and even device models), they usually show poor post-install performance: no session activity, zero events triggered, and very high uninstall rates. On the other hand, a healthy performance-driven campaign should have a balanced ratio of CTA to VTA, especially when you’re targeting engaged users with clear calls to action. While VTA can play a valuable role in measuring upper-funnel awareness (particularly for display, video, or CTV ads), it should not dominate your attribution model, especially if your campaign objective is direct response or installs. How Impression Spam Hurts Your Campaigns? (Some Red Flags You Shouldn’t Ignore) Impression spam affects campaign son multiple basis: Wasted Budget: You end up paying for impressions that never reached real users. Skewed Performance Data: Optimization decisions based on fake data lead to flawed strategy. Fraudulent Payouts: You reward the wrong sources, while genuine traffic partners get undervalued. Organic Hijacking: Fraudsters take credit for installs that would’ve happened anyway, distorting your organic benchmarks. Poor ROI on User Acquisition: Invalid impression drives low quality installs affecting return on investment as well as LTV And if you’re wondering how to spot impression spam in your performance data, here are a few red flags to keep an eye on: High VTA, Low CTA: A disproportionate number of installs attributed to views over clicks. Short impression-to-install windows: Installs happening unusually fast after impressions are served. Low post-install engagement: Users attributed through VTA show poor retention or event completion. Traffic from non-targeted geographies: This is clearly indicative of impression stuffing or bot activity. Do you know ad fraud is not limited to just impressions? Learn how it impacts your bottom line in this blog.   How mFilterIt Helps You Detect and Block Impression Spam Stopping impression spam isn’t just about identifying invalid impressions; it’s about restoring trust in your data and ensuring that every impression that enters your attribution funnel is validated and has impression integrity. That’s exactly what we do for our clients. Our advanced ad fraud detection solution helps protect the very first touchpoint of the user journey – impressions. Here’s how: 1. Impression Integrity Validation Our tool validates each impression based on multiple parameters – device authenticity, placement, location, timestamp accuracy, etc. It ensures that impressions are not only technically served, but also actually seen by real users under acceptable conditions. 2. Granular VTA vs. CTA Disparity Checks It also helps analyze attribution patterns and conversion timelines, proactively detect anomalies in View-Through Attribution ratios. If the VTA numbers rise disproportionately compared to Click-Through Attribution, it flags the issue before the whole campaign is compromised. 3. Bot Install Detection Linked to Impression Trails Many fraud schemes use bots that not only generate fake impressions but also simulate full-funnel activity. Our tool identifies such bot installs by linking post-install behavior to suspicious impression patterns. This helps uncover impression fraud that traditional MMPs overlook. 4. Source-Level Blacklisting and Partner Insights Our proprietary impression validation solution also gives complete visibility to monitor all traffic sources. Once identified, these sources are automatically flagged or blacklisted, reducing budget wastage at the earliest stage. We have helped Kuku FM improve their engagement by validating their ad traffic. Learn how.   Conclusion: Protect Your Campaigns with

What is Impression Spam? Know How It Impacts App Campaigns. Read More »

Scroll to Top