How to block proxy traffic from clicking on your Google Ads

Proxy traffic is internet data routed through an intermediary server rather than directly between a user’s device and the destination website.

Online fraudsters must be secretive if they want to keep getting away with fraudulent activities, such as web scraping and ad jacking.

To beat the multiple security checks that various website owners put in place to protect their websites, fraudsters are tasked with mimicking the behaviour of a genuine site visitor.

One famous way fraudsters and hackers get this done is by using a proxy, which helps them disguise their identity, making their traffic look less suspicious and harmless.

But proxies are not essentially malicious; real users who are not malicious will often use a proxy or VPN for online privacy protection.

How can a website owner tell if a proxy user on their website is a fraudulent visitor or a legitimate visitor?

First, let’s understand the meaning of proxies, how they work, how to detect them, and ultimately how to block them.

We will also discuss how fraudsters exploit proxies and how to determine whether proxy traffic on your website is valid.

What is a proxy?

A proxy software tool acts as a middleman between different devices. A proxy uses IP address obfuscation, allowing users to hide their location and identity.

A proxy can be used for many purposes, such as accessing content from different countries, bypassing restrictions in particular regions, screening downloads, filtering web content, and providing anonymity.

Certain kinds of proxy (e.g., VPN) provide a security gateway to corporate networks in the business world.

But of course, this tool has become invaluable to fraudsters and hackers. They use this tool to mask their fraudulent activities, making them difficult to catch.

For instance, one famous case study uses a proxy in a click-fraud attack, where the IPA is repeatedly changed to mimic a genuine user’s click on an ad.

What are the different types of proxies?

Although there are different kinds of proxy servers, such as transparent proxies, forward proxies, data centre proxies, etc., proxies are divided into three broad umbrellas that all the other kinds fit into.

They are VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), CDNs (Content Delivery Networks), and web proxies.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a common proxy that routes all network traffic to and from a specific device and encrypts it. See a VPN as an encrypted tunnel that secures all incoming and outgoing traffic.

VPNs are used by business owners and personal users who want to secure traffic on their sites and are keen on privacy, respectively. As usual, they are used by fraudsters to mask their activities.

CDN (Content Delivery Network)

A CDN (Content Delivery Network) is a group of proxy servers spread across the internet to provide greater availability and performance than a single server.

The Delivery Network is a highly widespread tool for genuine business reasons. For instance, a web owner has users in various locations who can use the Content Delivery Network to aid faster content delivery.

Unfortunately, fake actors can hijack the CDN to commit malicious activities, such as delivering malware.

Web Proxy  

A web proxy is also known as a public proxy. It is a server that provides a gateway between users and the broader internet.

A web proxy also has its own IPA (identified by your computer); when traffic goes to the internet, it is directed through the web proxy, which receives a response from a server and then returns the data to your browser.

We have software and hardware web proxies. A cloud service provider hosts a software proxy, while the hardware is the physical server between your internet and your network.

How do fraudsters take advantage of proxies?

The primary reason fraudsters, hackers, and botnets use proxies is to mask their identities and locations.

Still, of course, we have more sophisticated fraudsters who do not just use them to mask their identity and location, but for more complex uses that can have devastating effects.

In ad fraud, servers with VPNs can direct traffic from click fraud and botnets to a website that mimics genuine users by rapidly rotating IP addresses.

Proxies can also allow fraudsters to access specific desirable regions (such as Europe and North America) with high PPC rates, translating to high rewards for fraud.

The level of sophistication of this proxy use can vary. Some fraudsters use spoofing a US IPA, while others use residential proxy services to fake other details, such as devices or networks.

For instance, a browser originally from Asia could disguise itself as a mobile device with a 5G connection from America.

From a business standpoint, a ‘casual’ proxy user can pose a significant issue. Proxies skew marketing data, prevent remarketing efforts, and disrupt fingerprint browsers.

Is all proxy traffic invalid?

As mentioned earlier, some people use proxies for legitimate reasons, and millions of people use them worldwide daily. 

To properly categorize proxy traffic on your webpage and protect your site from fraudulent traffic, it is best to categorize questionable and unidentifiable traffic as suspicious sources rather than blocking them immediately.

The truth is, there are various reasons a user might use a proxy to hide their identity and location.

Yes, the intention could be harmless, but if the user’s traffic isn’t allowed to convert due to the barrier, you have to either monitor or eventually block it.

Please note that even though you have no malicious anonymous traffic, using a proxy can skew ad data and provide misleading information.

How can I detect and block proxy traffic?

So, how can you detect and block proxy traffic? Firstly, it is always best to determine whether the proxy traffic is terrible and should be blocked, or just suspicious.

To analyze customer traffic, there are a series of best practices to follow to determine what to do and how to handle proxy traffic effectively.

These steps are best done with a detailed security platform, but can still be done manually with a reasonable amount of time and effort.

Monitor your website’s traffic

It is pertinent to monitor the domains of users accessing your site closely. If you receive unusually high clicks from an unusual location, that is a good sign that your ad campaign is targeted for fraud.

When you notice this increase in usual traffic, search your server log for suspicious IP addresses and add them to your block list. 

Inspect the packet header for suspicious data

A skilled user can also inspect the packet header for supporting information. The information in the title is a lot, such as browser version, type, and OS.

If you get a lot of clicks from the same IPA but a different browser or OS, then there is a high possibility that the IPA is a proxy and should be blocked or redirected, depending on your use case or industry.

If you intend to grant all proxy users free access to your website but want to keep out fraudulent users, you can search for giveaways such as Linux use and outdated browsers to narrow your blocking. 

Search for misinterpretation

To identify further, search for areas where users misinterpret themselves. For instance, if the packet header indicates that a user is using a mobile device, it indicates that the packet is a browser extension.

It is safe to conclude that users are faking their information because mobile phones don’t use extensions.

All the abovementioned methods can help you identify whether proxy traffic has fraudulent intent or is just from a user who is particular about their online privacy. With this, you can adjust your block list accordingly.

Get fraud detection software 

All of the above methods can be very intense, because manually detecting whether proxy traffic is fraudulent can be very time-consuming and, in some extreme cases, may require help to provide a solution.

To be intentional about preventing malicious activity on your website, you need fraud detection software such as ClickPatrol that can conduct a comprehensive search of your website.

This will help automatically detect and block all forms of invalid traffic and provide you with additional insights into marketing analytics. 

Good security software will help evaluate website traffic in real-time, determine whether it is genuine or suspicious, and take the necessary actions to redirect or block the user.

Should you block proxy traffic?

Blocking proxy traffic from clicking on your Google ads is crucial to ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of your ad campaigns.

Implementing the right strategies can help you prevent fraudulent clicks and preserve your ad budget.

Using tools such as Google Analytics and third-party click-fraud prevention services can help identify suspicious IP addresses and block them.

Additionally, geo-targeting can limit your ad exposure to specific regions, reducing the chances of proxy traffic interference.

By actively monitoring and taking proactive measures, you can minimize the impact of proxy traffic and optimize the performance of your Google 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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