ClickPatrol’s 2024 Traffic Report: Key Ad Fraud Trends & How to Protect Your Ads

According to industry reports, digital advertisers lost an estimated $84 billion to ad fraud in 2024.  Ad fraud remains a persistent challenge for digital marketers and advertisers worldwide. From VPN traffic to proxy manipulation, fraudsters continually evolve tactics to evade detection while draining advertising budgets.

This report breaks down key trends in fake clicks, the industries most affected, and how advertisers can protect their campaigns. Understanding these trends can help advertisers optimize their strategies and safeguard their investments.

Fake clicks explained: How they impact advertisers

Fake clicks occur when online advertisements are clicked maliciously or by automated bots rather than genuine human users interested in the advertised product or service. These fake click clicks distort performance metrics, waste advertising budgets, and undermine advertisers’ trust in digital platforms.

The growing threat of ad fraud

Digital advertising has grown exponentially, with brands allocating substantial budgets to reach their target audience. However, with this growth comes an increase in ad fraud tactics. Click fraud, in particular, has evolved, with fraudsters leveraging sophisticated bots, VPNs, and automated scripts to generate deceptive clicks.

Recent studies have shown that businesses lose billions of dollars annually due to fake clicks and fake-click traffic. Thus, the need for enhanced fraud detection mechanisms has never been more critical.

Key statistics from ClickPatrol’s 2024 research

ClickPatrol’s detailed monitoring of digital advertising campaigns in 2024 shows a concerning rise in fake clicks. Here are some important findings:

1. Proxy clicks

Fraudsters use proxy servers to mask their real IP addresses, making fake clicks appear legitimate. This enables them to bypass security measures and make false ad interactions harder to trace. Proxy clicks are often used by fraud rings or individuals aiming to generate revenue from pay-per-click advertising models.

Highest and lowest month:

• Highest: June and July at 12.00%
• Lowest: December at 8.00%

Annual average:

• Proxy clicks accounted for 12.00% of total fake clicks throughout the year.

Industries most affected:

• E-commerce, financial services, and SaaS platforms.

2. VPN traffic

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) allow fraudsters to change their apparent location, generating clicks from multiple regions and avoiding geo-based detection. This form of ad fraud is particularly effective for evading country-based ad targeting restrictions.

Highest and lowest month:

• Highest: December at 10.00%
• Lowest: February at 6.00%

Annual average:

• VPN-based fraud contributed to 10.00% of all fake clicks in 2024.

Industries most affected:

• Streaming services, fintech, and international e-commerce platforms.

3. Fake traffic

Fake traffic refers to non-human or fake click visits to a website, app, or digital ad. It is typically generated using bots, click farms, or automated scripts to manipulate metrics such as page views, ad impressions, or engagement.

Fake traffic can be used for various deceptive purposes, including ad fraud, inflating website analytics, or misleading advertisers.

Highest and lowest month:

• Highest: December at 12.00%
• Lowest: February at 6.00%

Annual average:

• VPN-based fraud contributed to 12.00% of all fake click clicks in 2024.

Industries most affected:

• Online advertising networks, affiliate marketing, and media publishing.

4. Bot traffic

Bot traffic is automated scripts that simulate user behavior to generate ad impressions and clicks, deceiving advertisers into paying for fake engagement.

Highest and lowest month:

• Highest: December at 12.00%
• Lowest: February and March at 4.00%

Annual average:

• Bot traffic constituted 12.00% of all fake click clicks.

Industries most affected:

• Digital publishing, SaaS companies, and affiliate marketing.

5. Crawler traffic

Crawler traffic refers to visits from automated bots, web crawlers, or spiders that scan websites to index content, check links, or gather data. Search engines, cybersecurity firms, and data analytics companies primarily use these bots. Unlike fake, malicious traffic, crawler traffic is usually legitimate and serves specific purposes.

Highest and lowest month:

• Highest: November 10.00%
• Lowest: January at 4.00%

Annual average:

• Bot traffic constituted 10.00% of all fake click clicks.

Industries most affected:

• E-commerce, digital advertising, and cybersecurity.

Trend analysis: January – December 2024

The trend analysis from January to December 2024 includes:

Peak fraud periods

• December saw a surge in VPN, fake, and bot traffic, with each reaching its highest level at 12%.
• November recorded the highest crawler traffic at 10%, suggesting increased automated scanning activity.
• June and July saw the highest proxy click activity (12%), possibly due to increased online shopping and advertising campaigns during mid-year sales.

Lowest fraud periods

• February recorded the lowest VPN traffic (6%), suggesting a post-holiday decline in fake click ad activity.
• January saw the lowest crawler traffic (4%), likely because new digital campaigns had not yet ramped up for the year.
• March had the lowest bot traffic (4%), possibly due to better detection systems implemented at the beginning of Q2.

Industries most affected by fake clicks

The industries most affected by fake clicks include:

1. E-commerce:

• High proxy and bot traffic due to increased fake click ad interactions.
• Seasonal shopping peaks (Black Friday, holiday sales) drive ad fraud attempts.

2. Financial services:

• Targeted by VPN and proxy click fraud to bypass location-based security measures.
• High fake click activity in loan, credit card, and cryptocurrency advertisements.

3. Affiliate marketing and online advertising:

• Suffering from fake traffic and bot clicks inflating impressions and engagement rates.
• Click farms manipulate PPC campaigns, reducing the return on ad spend (ROAS).

4. SaaS and tech platforms:

• Bot-driven fake click sign-ups and ad interactions.
• VPN traffic is used to create multiple fake accounts.

5. Media and publishing:

• Fake clicks distort content engagement metrics, impacting advertisers.
• Proxy traffic and bot clicks inflate pageviews.

Highlights of fake click trends in 2024

Addressing the rise of fake clicks

As digital advertising evolves, so do the challenges posed by fake click activities. ClickPatrol’s 2024 analysis data reveals that various fake clicks, including proxy, VPN, bot, and crawler traffic, remain a significant threat to advertisers.

The highest peaks of fake click activity were observed in December for multiple categories, reinforcing the need for businesses to remain vigilant in their ad campaigns.

Key takeaways for advertisers

1. Invest in advanced fraud detection tools

• Utilize AI-driven fraud prevention systems such as ClickPatrol to detect unusual click patterns.
• Leverage real-time monitoring tools to flag suspicious traffic sources.

2. Enhance security measures

• Implement stricter geo-fencing policies to counter VPN-based fraud.
• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent automated bot interactions.

3. Monitor campaign metrics closely

• Regularly analyze PPC performance for sudden spikes in traffic from unknown sources.
• Cross-check IP addresses and referral sources for anomalies.

4. Collaborate with industry partners

• Share threat intelligence with other advertisers to stay ahead of evolving fraud tactics.
• Work with ad networks to ensure transparency and accountability in ad placement.

How to prevent fake clicks & protect your ad budget

Here is a clear, actionable list to prevent fake clicks and protect your ad budget:

1. Implement fake click detection tools: Use tools like ClickPatrol to track and block fake click clicks in real-time.
2. Use IP exclusion in ad platforms: Regularly block suspicious IP addresses in Google Ads and other platforms.
3. Target the right audience: Refine audience targeting to minimize irrelevant traffic.
4. Monitor campaign metrics closely: Watch for unusual spikes in clicks without corresponding conversions.
5. Leverage CAPTCHA and anti-bot solutions: Add CAPTCHAs to landing pages to distinguish bots from real users.
6. Use blacklists and whitelists: Maintain lists of known fake clicks and trusted traffic sources.
7. Run ads on trusted platforms: Choose platforms with robust fraud prevention measures.
8. Analyze user behavior post-click: Track interactions with tools like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity to identify suspicious patterns.
9. Test different ad formats: Experiment with various formats to detect potential fraud patterns.
10. Report fraud to ad platforms: Notify ad platforms of suspicious activity and seek refunds when possible.

Why advertisers should monitor fraud trends

Monitoring fraud trends is essential for advertisers because:

• Identify peak fraud periods: Businesses can adjust bidding strategies during high-risk times to reduce wasted ad spend by tracking when fraud is most active.
• Optimize budget allocation: Insights into fraud patterns help advertisers allocate budgets more efficiently, focusing on campaigns with genuine engagement.
• Improve ROI: Monitoring trends allows advertisers to detect and respond to fake click activity early, preventing unnecessary costs and improving overall return on investment.
• Enhance security measures: Understanding emerging fraud tactics helps businesses implement proactive security measures to stay ahead of fraudsters.
• Maintain campaign performance: Regularly tracking fraud activity ensures campaign data remains accurate, supporting better decision-making and strategy development.

Fack clicks are an ongoing problem

The PPC traffic report indicates that fake clicks accounted for 13% of total ad traffic in December 2024, indicating that fake click activity is an ongoing problem. This highlights the need for continuous improvement in fraud detection systems, strategic monitoring, and industry-wide collaboration to mitigate financial losses and protect advertising investments.

Protect your ad budget; start a 7-day free trial on ClickPatrol to block fake traffic and save money.

FAQs

Q. 1 How does seasonality affect ad fraud trends?

Seasonality significantly impacts ad fraud trends, as fraudsters often exploit high-traffic periods when ad spending increases. For example, bots can blend more easily with legitimate traffic during holidays, sales events, or peak shopping seasons, making fake click clicks harder to detect. Monitoring traffic patterns across seasons helps businesses adjust bidding strategies and implement stricter fraud detection measures when activity spikes.

Q. 2 Which detection tools work best for small businesses?

Small businesses benefit from user-friendly, cost-effective tools with real-time monitoring and customizable settings. ClickPatrol is a reliable tool known for its intuitive interface, real-time click tracking, and customizable rules to block suspicious activity.