What is Click Spam?

Click spam, is a type of fraudulent activity when a user clicks on mobile app’s ads for false revenue.

Click spam can occur on any type of mobile app ad, including banner ads, interstitial ads, and video ads.

Mobile apps became a target for click spam, as they offer several advertising options. These advertising options are from banner ads to pop-up ads. These ads can appear within the app or get served through third-party ad networks. 

In either case, click spamming can occur when a user or a group of users click on the ad in a repeated way.

This can increase the number of clicks, thereby generating revenue from that ad. Mobile apps generate revenue from advertising by displaying ads to their users.

By click spamming, it creates the illusion of user engagement, for advertisers. Click spamming can occur on various digital platforms, including mobile apps.

What is Click Spam?

How does click spam work?

Click spam works by using automated programs or bots to simulate clicks on mobile app ads. This leads to generating revenue for the fraudster.

These bots refer to mimic real user behavior for generating thousands of clicks per day.  The actions of the user such as scrolling through the app, tapping on buttons, and viewing ads. Programmed in such a way that when users click on ads as many times for generating more revenue.

For example, some fraudsters may create their own apps with hidden codes. That helps the fraudsters to generates fake clicks on ads. Others may use bots to simulate clicks on ads in legitimate apps.

Some fraudsters may also use a technique called click injection. That means they use malware to insert fake clicks into the app’s data stream before an ad displays.

Click spamming can be harmful to both advertisers and app developers. Advertisers can suffer financial losses as their ad budgets drain through fraudulent clicks. By this, advertisers do not lead to making actual conversions or sales.

App developers can also suffer reputational damage if their app suffers click spamming. This breaks user trust and leads to a decline in app downloads.

Why is click spam a problem?

Click spam is a significant problem for businesses as it costs millions of dollars each year.

It leads to high click-through rates (CTR) and inflates revenue for advertisers.  It can also harm the reputation, making advertisers less likely to invest in mobile ads. It disrupts the user experience of an app by showing irrelevant ads.

For example, When a new app launches, the number of clicks gets through by bots or other automated methods.

These clicks do not represent genuine user interest and can lead to a false high CTR. This in turn can lead to the app publisher receiving higher payments from the advertiser.

This can lead to advertisers paying for clicks that result in a waste of advertising dollars. It can also mislead advertisers into believing that their ads are performing well. But, in reality, the app publisher is manipulating the system.

Click spam undermines the trust and fairness in the app advertising ecosystem. This hurts the interest of all stakeholders involved, including advertisers, publishers, and users.

What is the difference between click injection and click spamming?

Click injection and click spamming are both fraudulent techniques used in advertising. As they differ in how they get executed but generate false clicks.  

1. Click injection

Click injection is a technique where a fraudulent app listens for a specific event. It could be as an app installation and it sends a fake click to an ad network before the event occurs.

The goal is to make it look like the ad click was responsible for the app installation. That means the fraudster can take credit for the installation and earn a payout.

Click injection can be particularly effective because it can happen in real time. 

2. Click spamming

Click spamming, involves generating fraudulent clicks on ads to generate ad revenue. It can even deplete its competitor’s budget in this competitive market.

This can involve using bots or other automated methods to create large numbers of clicks. In general, these clicks are not from legitimate users.

Click spamming can also lead to inaccurate performance metrics and wasted advertising budgets.

How to prevent click spam?

There are several ways in which click spamming detection and prevention are possible.

They can use various algorithms and tools to identify patterns of fraudulent clicks. It can be a click originating from the same IP address or clicks with a short duration. 

Preventing click spam is a complex challenge, but there are some strategies. Businesses can use this to protect themselves from this type of fraud. These strategies include:

1. Fraud detection software

Businesses can use software to identify and block fraudulent clicks. This software analyzes the data from various sources to detect patterns of activity.

These activities such as user behavior, IP addresses, and device information.  As they can identify suspicious patterns of clicks and block them from the system.

Developers can also work with advertisers to establish clear guidelines for prevention. They can track in a regular way of their ad networks for any signs of fraudulent activity. 

2. Monitoring ad performance

Businesses should track the performance of their ads to identify any unusual activity. This could be such as a sudden increase in clicks from only one IP address.

If any suspicious activity detects, businesses should investigate further. To determine whether it is the result of click spam. 

It’s important for users to be aware of click spam as well.  In these cases, you can report suspicious activity to let them know about the issue.

3. Partnering with reputable ad networks

Businesses should work with reputable ad networks that follow anti-fraud measures. Networks should be transparent about their fraud prevention strategies. They should provide regular reports on ad performance.

4. Using multi-factor authentication

Businesses should use multi-factor authentication to verify user interaction with their ads.

This can help prevent bots and other automated programs from generating fake clicks. They can use CAPTCHAs or other verification methods to ensure that they are from real users.

FAQs

Ques 1: Is it bad to spam click?

Ans. Yes, Spam clicking is bad and it is generally not recommended. As it can lead to reduced accuracy and potential damage to the clicking device.

Ques 2: What is click flooding?

Ans. Click flooding, also referred to as click spamming, is a form of fraudulent activity.  It generates a high volume of false clicks to claim false credit.

Ques 3: Why do people click on spam?

Ans. People click due to various reasons including curiosity, or simply by accident. It may be due to a lack of awareness, which can lead to financial loss, identity theft, or malware infection.

Ques 4: What are the negatives of spam?

Ans. The negatives of spam include potential harm to apps or systems and personal data. It also results in the wastage of time and resources.

Ques 5: What is spam on a smartphone?

Ans. It refers to unwanted messages, or notifications, sent to devices without their consent.  This can include advertisements, phishing attempts, or malicious content. 

Mani Pandey
Mani Pandey

Mani Pandey is an app marketing expert with over 5 years of experience in the industry. She has extensive knowledge about App Store Optimization (ASO) and loves to share all her expertise by writing informational content.She is passionate about helping businesses reach their true potential and maximise their ROI. She also loves to travel around the world to explore different cultures and meet new people.