How a Massive Ad Fraud Scheme Exploited Android Phones to Steal Millions
I seems to me that - besides the specific fraud scheme in the article - there is something else to be worried about.<p>From the article:<p>>The revelation of this scheme shows just how deeply fraud is embedded in the digital advertising ecosystem, the vast sums being stolen from brands, and the overall failure of the industry to stop it.<p>And, more relevant:<p>>Pixalate’s latest analysis of in-app fraud found that 23% of all ad impressions in mobile apps are in some way fraudulent.<p>Now, if the numbers are correct and 23% of ad impressions is fraudulent, it should mean that either:<p>1) the firms/brands/whatever that are paying for these ads cannot measure with a sufficient degree of accuracy the results of these ads<p>2) they perfectly know that more than 1/5 of their ads expense is having "null" results but overall they are ok to spend the 100% price for less than 80% "real" impressions<p>If the first hypothesis is true there is some incompetence around, if the second, it's business as usual.<p>I believe more likely the #2 to be true, and since the companies/brands/etc. insist on it, this 20-25% "surcharge" is a "standard" of sorts.<p>So,hypothetically , if these frauds would be completely eradicated and the companies would continue to invest the same amount of money in ads, we are doomed to see 20-25% more ads than we do now.