Why competitor IP blocking cannot stop stop click fraud in 2025, and how ClickPatrol delivers real protection

Competitor IP blocking is no longer enough to stop click fraud in 2025.

Ad fraud is rising sharply, with global losses expected to hit $100 billion in 2025, fueled by bots, VPNs, device farms, and aggressive competitors clicking ads to drain budgets.

Due to fraudsters constantly switching networks and hiding behind dynamic or masked IPs, simply blocking a list of competitor addresses cannot protect your campaigns.

This article explains why competitor IP blocking fails and how ClickPatrol’s real-time, multi-layered protection provides advertisers with the stronger defence they need.

Why competitor IP blocking appears to stop clicks

Competitor IP blocking seems to make perfect sense at first glance. Every device connected to the internet has an IP address assigned to its network.

Google Ads and similar platforms allow you to block specific IPs so those users do not view or click your ad.

By adding known competitor IPs to an exclusion list, advertisers can:

• Prevent competitors’ daily budgets from being depleted.
• Block competitors from spying on your keywords, messaging, and landing pages.
• Reduce engagement from suspicious or bot-like traffic.

Why competitor IP blocking appears to stop clicks

Here’s why competitor IP blocking appears to stop clicks:

Competitors utilizing dynamic IPs

Most modern internet users, including competitors, are assigned dynamic IP addresses by their service providers, which they frequently rotate.

It means that even if one IP is successfully blocked, the competitor could easily return under a different address.

Static IP blocking stops only a small fraction of all possible fraudulent clicks.

Mobile networks multiply IP variability

Mobile devices often switch IP addresses as they move between Wi-Fi networks and mobile data networks.

A competitor clicking your ads from a mobile device could appear under multiple IPs in a single day.

Blocking one or two IPs does not prevent continued engagement.

VPNs and proxy servers mask real IPs

Advanced competitors almost always mask their real IP via VPNs or proxies.

Services like this let them rotate IPs, switch locations, and click your ads without revealing their identity.

You can block an IP, but in this case, for instance, the competitor could appear as an utterly different user within a split second.

Competitors use multiple devices and locations

Businesses today are seldom restricted to one physical location:

• Employees work from home, offices, or co-working spaces.
• Campaigns are accessed through mobile devices and laptops over various networks.
• Remote teams and freelancers create additional points of access.

IP blocking cannot stop bot traffic

Some competitor click fraud is automated. Competitors may use:

• Bots and scripts
• Headless browsers
• Residential proxy networks

Manual IP lists are a pain to keep up-to-date

Google Ads limits the number of IP exclusions to 500 per campaign. This is an incredibly low threshold for companies with highly aggressive competitors.

It takes hours to keep track of which IPs to block, scan for new ones, and update lists.

The bigger problem: Fraud is behavioural, not just IP-based

The true insight here is that competitor click fraud is more of a behaviour than an identity issue.

Even when a competitor changes IPs, devices, or networks, their patterns often reveal malicious intent. Signs of competitor fraud include:

• Clicking on the same adverts rapidly and repeatedly
• Poor or no engagement on landing pages
• Short session durations without conversions
• Multiple clicks from rotating IPs with identical device fingerprints

Why IP blocking alone doesn’t protect your budget or data

Even if you block some of the competitor IPs, your campaigns could still be impacted:

1. Budget drain continues: With competitors having numerous access points and the capability to rotate IPs, a small block list will not be able to stop the spending waste.
2. Distorted campaign data: Click fraud distorts CPCs, conversion rates, and Smart Bidding algorithms, leading to poor optimization decisions. This damage cannot be undone even by blocking the IP addresses.
3. Retargeting waste: Fraudsters can continually trigger retargeting campaigns, depleting the budget. IP blocks block only one address at a time.
4. Time and resource costs: Manual tracking of IPs is highly time-consuming, and updating their exclusion lists doesn’t scale for large campaigns.

How ClickPatrol provides full-scale, multi-layered click fraud protection

ClickPatrol provides modern advertiser protection against competitor click fraud that goes beyond simple IP blocking.

Here’s how ClickPatrol addresses the problem:

Automated Competitor Detection

ClickPatrol watches every click in real time and analyzes:

• Repeated, or rapid clicks
• Suspicious patterns indicative of competitor activity
• Bot-like behavior
• Usage of VPNs or proxies

Real-time IP blocking

If an IP address is suspected, ClickPatrol will automatically add it to your Google Ads exclusion list so competitors cannot view or click your ads.

Device fingerprinting beyond IPs

Competitors can rotate IPs, but cannot easily change their device fingerprint.

ClickPatrol identifies devices using browser attributes, operating system versions, and behavioural patterns, ensuring protection even against IP rotation.

Continuous learning and adaptation

ClickPatrol continually updates its detection algorithms to address new threats and patterns, keeping campaigns protected against evolving competitor tactics.

Cross-platform protection

ClickPatrol covers a wide range of platforms, including Google Ads and Meta Ads, as well as TikTok and LinkedIn.

That means rivals can’t evade your defences by simply moving to another platform.

The complete picture: Multi-layered protection is necessary

Blocking competitor IPs alone is an essential layer of protection, but modern click fraud requires a multi-layered approach.

• IP blocking: Block known competitor networks immediately.
• Behavioural analysis: Identify suspicious click patterns regardless of IP.
• Device fingerprinting: Prevent repeat attacks from rotating IPs or proxies.
• Real-time blocking: Block malicious clicks instantly.
• Automation: Eliminate processes that require someone to monitor or update anything.

Real protection requires more than IP blocking

Blocking competitor IPs is helpful, but it’s only a tiny part of the click-fraud defence puzzle.

Modern competitors use rotating IPs, VPNs, bots, and multiple devices, making IP blocking far too limited to protect your budget or campaign data on its own.

Protection requires behaviour analysis, pattern detection, device identification, and the real-time halting of malicious clicks. That is exactly what ClickPatrol delivers.

By combining IP blocking with advanced behavioural monitoring and device fingerprinting, ClickPatrol ensures your ads are seen by real customers, not rivals and every dollar you spend drives real growth.

Ready to stop competitors from draining your budget? Start your free ClickPatrol trial today and instantly protect your ads.

Abisola

Meet Abisola! As the content manager at ClickPatrol, she’s the go-to expert on all things fake traffic. From bot clicks to ad fraud, Abisola knows how to spot, stop, and educate others about the sneaky tactics that inflate numbers but don’t bring real results.

View all posts by Abisola (Abisola)

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