DoubleVerify is a company that started digital ad verification over ten years ago. They authenticate the performance and media quality for the world’s largest platforms, brands, and publishers. They have advanced technology and data with which they provide excellent customer service. Different companies use the services of DoubleVerify to verify ads and to get solutions across major verticals like Telecom, Automotive, Retail, Financial Services, Travel, Luxury, Pharmaceuticals, and many more.
Recently, the team at DoubleVerify has published a report exposing the new tactics being used by ad fraudsters.
To get inside the app stores, whether for the web or mobile or TV, ad fraudsters keep looking for various ways. On the web and mobile, it is easier to create legitimate-looking apps and create content, but for TV, it is much difficult. For a connected TV-app, the app developers need a lot of videos and they are not only time-consuming, they are costly too.
Senior Vice President of Product Management, Roy Rosenfield has told that some ad fraudsters have started taking old content from TV and movies from the era of 50s and 60s that are now in the public domain, then ‘refurbish’ them and package them in the name of some fancy looking CTV app. Once that is done, they submit these apps for approval to platforms like Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV, and other app stores.
After submission, they receive the app store ID which adds to their ‘legitimacy,’ and then they use this ID to generate fake traffic, ratings, and impressions.
Since hardly anyone really watches the old western content as such, these fraudsters take advantage of this fact. Basically, re-packaging old content from the public domain is their way to get inside the app stores.
DoubleVerify has identified over 1300 fraudulent CTV apps over the period of the past two years. More than half of these fraud apps have surfaced in 2020 alone.
However, that does not mean that every app is fraudulent, nor is it a testament about public domain content. There are legitimate channels and app stores, but many apps in the public domain are being used for fraud and by the fraudster ad creators.
DoubleVerify recommends the advertising companies to maintain some higher transparency standards. The brands and all other companies should buy apps from platforms that have been verified by third parties.
Read next: Two thirds of web content goes “unseen”, Here are four customer journey insights to improve digital experiences
Recently, the team at DoubleVerify has published a report exposing the new tactics being used by ad fraudsters.
To get inside the app stores, whether for the web or mobile or TV, ad fraudsters keep looking for various ways. On the web and mobile, it is easier to create legitimate-looking apps and create content, but for TV, it is much difficult. For a connected TV-app, the app developers need a lot of videos and they are not only time-consuming, they are costly too.
Senior Vice President of Product Management, Roy Rosenfield has told that some ad fraudsters have started taking old content from TV and movies from the era of 50s and 60s that are now in the public domain, then ‘refurbish’ them and package them in the name of some fancy looking CTV app. Once that is done, they submit these apps for approval to platforms like Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV, and other app stores.
After submission, they receive the app store ID which adds to their ‘legitimacy,’ and then they use this ID to generate fake traffic, ratings, and impressions.
Since hardly anyone really watches the old western content as such, these fraudsters take advantage of this fact. Basically, re-packaging old content from the public domain is their way to get inside the app stores.
DoubleVerify has identified over 1300 fraudulent CTV apps over the period of the past two years. More than half of these fraud apps have surfaced in 2020 alone.
However, that does not mean that every app is fraudulent, nor is it a testament about public domain content. There are legitimate channels and app stores, but many apps in the public domain are being used for fraud and by the fraudster ad creators.
DoubleVerify recommends the advertising companies to maintain some higher transparency standards. The brands and all other companies should buy apps from platforms that have been verified by third parties.
Read next: Two thirds of web content goes “unseen”, Here are four customer journey insights to improve digital experiences
