Click flooding: The black sheep which can be killed by transparent fraud mitigation solution

Have you ever wondered how a flood can occur in the digital world, wreaking havoc on advertisers' budgets without spilling a drop of water??

Welcome to the deceptive realm of click flooding, an ad fraud technique where vast volumes of low-quality or fraudulent clicks are generated in order to steal credit for app installations or other conversions.?

For advertisers, the challenge is twofold. Firstly, the sheer volume of these fraudulent clicks can drown out legitimate user interactions, skewing campaign data and wasting advertising dollars on non-existent users. More insidiously, without transparent detection mechanisms, the true source of these invalid clicks remains concealed, complicating efforts to block them and reclaim advertising integrity.

Let us understand how click flooding takes place in detail

How does click flooding work?

The entire click flooding process is as follows

1. The process begins with a fraudster employing bots and automated scripts that are programmed to generate clicks on the mobile ad campaigns
2. These bots and scripts can cycle through multiple devices and while doing so, a click is triggered from every device ID which creates an impression on the ad. These clicks can also be generated from fake/fraudulent apps when a user is engaging with it. These can be in the form of battery savers, launchers, etc. While engaging with these apps, the impressions created by such fake apps can be presented as clicks without the user’s knowledge?
3. When a conversion takes place through the campaign i.e., when a user installs an app, due to the clicks being flooded by the fraudsters, the credit for the install also goes to them due to the inflation of clicks on the campaign
4. As a result, the advertisers pay for such installs to the bad actors while the publishers are devoid of their share of revenue as well as no genuine impressions are reported on the campaign.

How to detect click flooding?

Click flooding is a pertinent problem. However, its detection is not an impossible task. Through careful observation and analysis of some crucial metrics, this problem can be detected without many hassles. Let us look at what metrics can help us detect this problem

1. Click-to-install rate (CTI): CTI refers to the number of users who click on your ad and then install the app. Any publisher that reports an exceedingly high or low click-to-install rate can be a potential red flag for being a victim of click flooding. If the CTI rate is way below the historical trend line or if an ad network or publisher is reporting an outlier compared to the rest, it’s time to take some protective steps and conduct a deeper analysis of this metric
2. Click-to-install time (CTIT): CTIT measures the time lag between the user clicking the ad and the installation of the app. If we think from a user’s perspective, as soon as he/she interacts with an ad, they might choose to install the ad. Normally, the time lag between the two events can happen due to various factors like the speed of app download, internet stability, nature of the app etc. The question arises when for multiple installs, the time lag is uniform. This can be a sign of installs from click flooding as fraudsters might possibly be clicking the ads through multiple devices and thus there can be a uniform lag of ‘X’ number of hours between these clicks and the app install event

What strategies can be used to mitigate click flooding?

1. Real-Time traffic analysis: Implementing systems that can analyze traffic in real-time is crucial. This approach helps identify and filter out unusual spikes in click activity that are not aligned with normal user behavior patterns. By setting thresholds for what constitutes normal activity, any activity that goes beyond these parameters can be scrutinized more closely. Simultaneously, it is also important to leverage transparent reporting tools that provide detailed insights into traffic sources and reasons for traffic being flagged as suspicious.
2. Enhanced Click Validation: Use advanced validation techniques to ensure that every click recorded is genuine. Techniques such as analyzing the IP address, device ID, and user behaviour patterns help in distinguishing between legitimate user clicks and those generated by bots or farms.
3. Multi-Layered Detection Techniques: Employ a multi-layered strategy combining several detection mechanisms like machine learning algorithms, anomaly detection, and behavioural analytics. This layered approach increases the chances of detecting sophisticated fraud schemes like click flooding, which might slip through more basic filtering systems.
4. Ad Fraud Mitigation Tools: Deploy specialized ad fraud mitigation tools like ClearTrust that continuously monitor and analyze ad traffic, providing real-time alerts and comprehensive protection against various fraud tactics, including click flooding.

In the digital deluge of click flooding, the ability to distinguish between the ripple of a genuine user click and the tidal wave of fraudulent ones is not just advantageous—it's imperative. As advertisers continue to navigate these treacherous waters, the role of sophisticated, transparent solutions like those offered by ClearTrust becomes the beacon that guides them to safer shores.