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ad fraud in 2025

Ad Fraud Report: Beyond the Linear Lens

Reports /

Ad Fraud is no longer a traffic problem — it is a trust problem.As digital advertising becomes more omnichannel, automated, and AI-driven, ad fraud has evolved into a non-linear, behaviour-shaped threat that silently moves across the funnel. This report uncovers how Invalid Traffic (IVT), MFA ecosystems, AI-generated behaviours, frequency-cap violations, misclassified brand-unsafe content, and synthetic conversions contaminate everything—from exposure and engagement to attribution and outcomes. Drawing from billions of validated interactions across platforms, apps, affiliates, influencers, CTV/OTT, and programmatic environments, this research breaks down the industry’s most dangerous assumptions. It reveals why viewability ≠ visibility, why platform safety controls fall short, how Walled Gardens still carry 9–18% fraud, and why affiliates and high CVR sources often mask deep inefficiencies. You will discover how ad fraud pollutes remarketing pools, distorts optimisation signals, inflates conversion metrics, and drains budgets even when dashboards look “healthy.”  This Ad Fraud Intelligence Report also explains why advertisers must transition from isolated measurement to a full funnel understanding of media quality: one that connects impression integrity, contextual relevance, behavioural authenticity, and conversion truth. It also highlights how long-standing industry myths have masked deeper inefficiencies across channels and how an advanced ad fraud detection solutions helps. If you want to protect your budgets, decode AI-shaped fraud, and build true digital trust, this report is your playbook. Download the full report to see what your metrics aren’t showing you. Download Submit Ad Fraud is no longer a traffic problem — it is a trust problem.As digital advertising becomes more omnichannel, automated, and AI-driven, ad fraud has evolved into a non-linear, behaviour-shaped threat that silently moves across the funnel. This report uncovers how Invalid Traffic (IVT), MFA ecosystems, AI-generated behaviours, frequency-cap violations, misclassified brand-unsafe content, and synthetic conversions contaminate everything—from exposure and engagement to attribution and outcomes. Drawing from billions of validated interactions across platforms, apps, affiliates, influencers, CTV/OTT, and programmatic environments, this research breaks down the industry’s most dangerous assumptions. It reveals why viewability ≠ visibility, why platform safety controls fall short, how Walled Gardens still carry 9–18% fraud, and why affiliates and high CVR sources often mask deep inefficiencies. You will discover how ad fraud pollutes remarketing pools, distorts optimisation signals, inflates conversion metrics, and drains budgets even when dashboards look “healthy.”  This Ad Fraud Intelligence Report also explains why advertisers must transition from isolated measurement to a full funnel understanding of media quality: one that connects impression integrity, contextual relevance, behavioural authenticity, and conversion truth. It also highlights how long-standing industry myths have masked deeper inefficiencies across channels and how an advanced ad fraud detection solutions helps. If you want to protect your budgets, decode AI-shaped fraud, and build true digital trust, this report is your playbook. Download the full report to see what your metrics aren’t showing you. Download Submit

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Affiliate Fraud

Holiday Season Hidden Affiliate Fraud

Infographics /

Holiday dashboards may be lighting up, but not every spike is a sign of real growth. Our latest infographic on “Hidden Affiliate Fraud” reveals the six hidden affiliate marketing scams that quietly drain budgets during the busiest season through repeated conversions, stolen installs, incentivized downloads, and a lot more sophisticated fraud tactics.  While brands ramp up promotions and rely on affiliates for scale, fraudsters blend into your metrics, turning what looks like holiday success into costly illusions.  By understanding these patterns early, you can safeguard your promotions, protect your ad spend, and ensure your conversions are genuinely earned.  This season, stay ahead of hidden threats and let every click truly count with Valid8 as your ad traffic validation partner.  Don’t wait until your budget leaks—download the infographic now.  Download Submit

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The Ultimate Brand Protection Checklist for Social Media

Infographics /

Social media has become a powerful platform for brands — but also a major target for scammers and fraudsters. With phishing attacks, counterfeit products, and impersonation scams on the rise, protecting your brand’s presence online is more critical than ever. That’s why we’ve put together The Ultimate Brand Protection Checklist for social media — a checklist designed to help brands tackle today’s biggest threats. You’ll also get a glimpse into how combining AI-driven detection with human verification leads to faster, more accurate threat resolution. Learn how brands using solutions like Sentinel+ by mFilterIt are reclaiming trust and minimizing the damage caused by impersonators, fake listings, and scam accounts. Ready to take control of your brand’s safety on social media? Download the full infographic now and arm yourself with the tools and techniques to stay protected in 2025 and beyond! Download Submit

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infographic image

How a Leading FMCG Brand Increased Sales by 16% with Data-Driven Insights

Infographics /

For any FMCG brand, product availability is critical to driving sales and retaining customers. However, one leading brand faced significant challenges with stock inconsistencies across different regions. The Challenge Despite strong demand, the brand struggled with frequent stock gaps, making products unavailable in key markets. This led to: Lost sales opportunities as customers couldn’t find the products they wanted. Wasted ad spend, with traffic being directed toward out-of-stock products. Declining market presence as competitors filled the gaps. The brand needed real-time insights to track inventory status across platforms and ensure products were consistently available where demand was highest. The Solution: Data-Driven Inventory Optimization To tackle these challenges, the brand leveraged mFilterIt’s digital commerce intelligence to: Gain pin-code level visibility into stock availability. Identify and address stock gaps across online and offline channels. Optimize inventory distribution based on demand patterns. Benchmark their availability against competitors. The Impact With these insights, the brand implemented strategic changes, leading to: 90% product availability (exceeding the industry benchmark of 80%). 45% improvement in supply chain efficiency within 8 months. 16% increase in sales across key regions.  Unlock Your Growth Potential Many brands face similar challenges, but with the right intelligence tools, stock gaps can be minimized, and sales can soar. Want to know the full strategy behind this transformation? Download the infographic now to how the brand acted with key insights! Download Submit

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foxtale

Foxtale’s 21% CPC Drop: Leveraging mFilterIt’s Expertise to Combat Brand Bidding by Ad Networks

Case Study, Affiliate, app /

Foxtale, a dynamic skincare brand, invests heavily in TOF and video campaigns to boost search volumes and drive high-intent users to their website. However, ad networks were bidding on the same branded keywords, capitalizing on Foxtale’s brand popularity to generate revenue easily. This competitive bidding drove up their CPC by 25-30%, further, impacting return on ad spend (ROAS), and hindered scalability. Download the case study to know how our solution helped the brand identify the ad networks bidding on their brand keywords and helped them optimize their campaigns. Download Submit

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beyond-the-pitch

Game-Changing Insights-Advertising Trends from the Cricket World Cup 2023

Reports /

The 2023 Cricket World Cup presented a prime opportunity for brands to leverage India’s immense cricket fanbase and global audience. The report analyzes advertising trends across different cities, industries, and platforms during the event’s first four days.  Key Insights and Trends:  Massive Advertising Investment: $240 million was spent on streaming ads alone, with 10-second ad space going for ₹ $3 million during the World Cup, 40% more than the 2019 WC. Industry Distribution Across Cities:             Delhi NCR: BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) led on Day 1, with FMCG commercials leading on                                      Day 4, accounting for 32% of the share of voice.            Mumbai: FMCG and Fantasy Gaming ads held nearly equal shares, each accounting for 36%-40% of total ads.                               BFSI followed closely.            Bangalore: FMCG brands dominated (38% share of voice), with Fantasy Gaming and BFSI ads also prominent.  Growth in Advertiser Presence: The number of advertisers and ad spots increased dramatically following India’s opening match on Day 4. Delhi witnessed a 6x increase in advertisements, while Mumbai and Bangalore saw 4x and 2x growth, respectively.  Platform and Device Trends: Ads were personalized for audiences using Connected TVs and mobile apps, taking into account geographical and device preferences. This method improved engagement and relevancy.  Download the full report to uncover detailed insights and strategies for maximizing advertising impact during the Cricket World Cup 2023.  Download Submit

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chochlate-analysis

Decoding the Chocolate Category: Insights by mFilterIt

Reports /

The report provides a thorough examination of the chocolate category’s performance across all digital commerce platforms, highlighting distinct opportunities and challenges for e-commerce (such as Amazon and Flipkart) and quick commerce platforms (such as Zepto and Instamart). Key Insights:       1. Platform Dynamics:             · Quick Commerce Platforms:             o Zepto (23%) and Instamart (38%) dominate the share of sponsored product ads, underscoring their importance for brands targeting impulse buyers.             o Blinkit (5%) and Big Basket (1%) have a comparatively smaller presence in this space.            · E-commerce Platforms:             o Flipkart accounts for 12% of sponsored ads, while Amazon leads with 21%. These platforms focus on long-term  visibility and planned purchases.     2. Advertising Strategies:            · Heavy Bidding by Market Leaders:            o Cadbury leads with 31% of the sponsored shelf share across e-commerce, showcasing its aggressive spending to maintain visibility.            · Organic Strength:            o Hershey’s demonstrates significant organic visibility, leveraging its strong brand equity rather than aggressive paid strategies.    3. Pricing Trends:           · Premium Pricing on Quick Commerce:           o Dark chocolate gift packs are priced 10% higher, and milk chocolate packs 11% higher on quick commerce platforms compared to marketplaces. The chocolate category’s success is dependent on a unique strategy for different digital commerce platforms. Download the complete report to learn about detailed tactics and practical insights for succeeding in the competitive chocolate e-commerce landscape. Download Submit

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smart-tv

Category Analysis: Amazon Great Indian Festival vs Flipkart Big Billion Day Sales

Reports /

The Smart TV segment was one of the most competitive during India’s two biggest festive sales periods— Amazon’s Great Indian Festival and Flipkart’s Big Billion Day. Consumer trends, platform developments, and performance comparisons and analysis are included in this report together with qualitative data. Key pointers from the Smart TV Category Report 1. Platform-Specific Strategies:      · Amazon: The market for OLED and QLED was mainly held by the premium companies such as LG and Sony.      · Flipkart: Newer brand Coh first stabilize on elected brands as onboard sponsors. While Coocaa gained significant sponsored share, majoring in the affordable brands. 2. Consumer Behavior:     · Popular TV sizes are 32 inches and 43 inches with most of its clients being price sensitive.     · Early bird offers on Amazon and Love it discounts at the end of sale on Flipkart. 3. Pricing Trends:     · Amazon offered up to 43% discounts on day one, with lower ASPs compared to Flipkart.     · Flipkart used strategic price drops later in the sale to target last-minute buyers. 4. Ad Spend Strategies:     · Legacy brands used organic growth and premium positioning.     · New brands (e.g., Coocaa and Motorola) focused on aggressive ad campaigns for visibility. Key Takeaways:     · Amazon: Steep early discounts captured early traffic.     · Flipkart: End-of-sale discounts appealed to late-stage buyers.     · Tailored content and pricing strategies are essential for success across platforms. Download the full report to explore in-depth insights and strategies for succeeding in the Smart TV market during major sales events. Download Submit

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info

MAAS Uncovered: How mFilterIt Safeguards Financial Institutions from Mule Accounts

Infographics /

Over time Mule-as-a-Service (MAAS) have become an underground economy that facilitates illegal money laundering by redirecting Indian funds to offshore fraudsters. It shows how fraudsters set up and use mule accounts to hide the source of illegal cash. This poses a serious threat, slipping through the loopholes of established monitoring systems and allowing fraudsters to exploit payment networks such as UPI, debit/credit cards, and bank transfers often become unwilling participants in these fraudulent schemes, making MAAS a serious threat to financial ecosystems. These gateways facilitate a range of scams, including fake e-commerce platforms, task scams, loan scams, gaming app fraud, and illegal betting. They create and manage extensive networks of mule accounts, rotating them to evade detection by banks. This makes tracing the money trail increasingly difficult and enables criminals to bypass monitoring systems. Techniques used to Detect MAAS To counter MAAS, financial institutions rely on further strategies: Transaction Monitoring with Bank Data: Banks use transaction pattern analysis to detect mule accounts. Detection from Mule Sources: This approach identifies mule accounts on platforms, offering precise results without bank data or complex setups. Proactive Tools and Industry Collaboration: mFilterIt’s mule account monitoring tool scans 25,000+ websites hourly, detecting fraud, capturing proof, and enhancing AI-based detection. mFilterIt identifies 18,000–20,000 mule accounts on regular basis and collaborates with banks, regulatory bodies, and payment platforms to stop this threat from happening. Manage Mule Accounts Effectively  Mule-as-a-Service is a growing threat to financial systems, posing significant risks to both brand safety and financial integrity. This infographic will show how mFilterIt’s innovative solutions can help to secure financial networks. Download Submit

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kuku-fm

From Fake Installs to Quality Engagement: Know How Kuku FM Improved their App Traffic and Optimized Spending

Case Study, Ad Fraud, app /

Kuku FM, a leading audio content platform runs a user acquisition campaign to bring new users to their app. However, they notice a high volume of app installs with no conversion (in this case, paid subscription). To solve this, Kuku FM partnered with mFilterIt to validate their ad traffic and filter it to optimize their campaigns better. Download our case study to learn how our solution helped the brand identify suspicious traffic sources and fraudulent techniques used to drain their ad budget and block them to protect their campaigns and attract genuine traffic. Download Submit

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