GITNUXREPORT 2025

Ad Fraud Statistics

Ad fraud causes billions in losses, inflates metrics, with rising global threats.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

The global ad fraud losses are projected to reach $42 billion in 2023

Statistic 2

Invalid traffic accounts for approximately 36% of digital ad spend globally

Statistic 3

Up to 70% of ad impressions in certain mobile app categories are fraudulent

Statistic 4

Viewability rates for digital ads are often below 50% due to ad fraud

Statistic 5

81% of digital advertisers estimate that at least 10% of their traffic is fraudulent

Statistic 6

Programmatic ad fraud accounts for approximately 30% of all ad fraud cases

Statistic 7

The average cost of ad fraud per campaign can reach up to $10,000

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Bot traffic inflates digital ad metrics, causing up to 50% of impressions to be non-human traffic

Statistic 9

Ad fraud is responsible for approximately 25% of all non-human ad traffic globally

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Mobile advertising accounts for nearly 90% of ad fraud detected

Statistic 11

The industry loses over $12 billion annually due to ad fraud

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Fake app install fraud accounts for about 35% of app install fraud losses

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Approximately 20-30% of digital ad impressions are viewed fraudulently

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Ad fraud has increased by 15% year-over-year

Statistic 15

78% of publishers report they have experienced some form of ad fraud

Statistic 16

Programmatic advertising is estimated to have up to 40% of impressions generated by bots

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Ad fraud leads to an estimated 20% loss in revenue for small to medium-sized publishers

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The use of sophisticated AI-driven bots accounts for nearly 40% of ad fraud

Statistic 19

Fraudulent programmatic ad spend makes up about 50% of total programmatic spend in some regions

Statistic 20

The cost of ad fraud per impression can be as low as $0.01 but accumulates significantly over large campaigns

Statistic 21

More than 30% of advertisers have been forced to cancel campaigns due to suspected ad fraud

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Ad fraud causes a 15-20% increase in average campaign costs for marketers

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Fraudulent traffic in video advertising is estimated to be around 50%

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The average bounce rate for fraudulent traffic is nearly 40%, leading to inefficient advertising spend

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The percentage of ad budgets wasted on fraudulent traffic is estimated at 10-15%

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Approximately 30% of mobile ad installs are falsely attributed due to fraud

Statistic 27

Transparency issues caused by ad fraud result in an estimated 12% loss in overall media effectiveness

Statistic 28

About 60% of digital ad fraud involves some form of automation or bot activity

Statistic 29

Viewability fraud accounts for 30% of the overall ad fraud landscape

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The cost of ad fraud to brands in the U.S. alone is estimated to surpass $8 billion annually

Statistic 31

40% of digital ad traffic in certain channels is generated by bots or fraudulent activities

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Malicious malware attacks are responsible for about 25% of ad fraud incidents

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The cost to combat ad fraud through technology solutions has increased by approximately 60% over the past five years

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The prevalence of ad fraud in connected TV (CTV) advertising is rising, accounting for roughly 25% of all CTV ad spend

Statistic 35

Over 50% of digital marketers are unaware of the true levels of ad fraud affecting their campaigns

Statistic 36

Approximately 10% of programmatic ad impressions are associated with sophisticated invalid traffic

Statistic 37

70% of ad fraud is attributed to domain spoofing, where legitimate publishers' domains are faked

Statistic 38

The false impression of ad viewability accounts for roughly 45% of ad fraud cases

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Approximately 65% of digital marketers believe ad fraud directly impacts their ROI

Statistic 40

The use of ad verification tools has increased by 25% over the past two years among digital advertisers

Statistic 41

Ad fraud detection solutions have grown at an annual rate of 50% over the last three years

Statistic 42

The use of blockchain technology to combat ad fraud is emerging, with over 15% of industry players experimenting with it in 2023

Statistic 43

Approximately 70% of ad fraud instances could be mitigated with more advanced detection techniques

Statistic 44

The average rate of ad fraud detection success among current solutions is approximately 83%

Statistic 45

Approximately 55% of all ad fraud originates from traffic sources in Asia

Statistic 46

The Asia-Pacific region has seen the highest increase in ad fraud incidents in 2023, with a 20% rise

Statistic 47

The percentage of ad spending lost to fraud varies significantly by region, with North America experiencing around 12%

Statistic 48

The rate of ad fraud is higher in emerging markets, with some regions experiencing up to 25% of ad traffic being fraudulent

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Sources

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Key Highlights

The global ad fraud losses are projected to reach $42 billion in 2023
Invalid traffic accounts for approximately 36% of digital ad spend globally
Up to 70% of ad impressions in certain mobile app categories are fraudulent
Viewability rates for digital ads are often below 50% due to ad fraud
81% of digital advertisers estimate that at least 10% of their traffic is fraudulent
Programmatic ad fraud accounts for approximately 30% of all ad fraud cases
The average cost of ad fraud per campaign can reach up to $10,000
Bot traffic inflates digital ad metrics, causing up to 50% of impressions to be non-human traffic
Ad fraud is responsible for approximately 25% of all non-human ad traffic globally
Mobile advertising accounts for nearly 90% of ad fraud detected
The industry loses over $12 billion annually due to ad fraud
Fake app install fraud accounts for about 35% of app install fraud losses
Approximately 20-30% of digital ad impressions are viewed fraudulently

As digital ad spend soars into the trillions, a staggering $42 billion is lost annually to ad fraud—uncovering a hidden pandemic that’s inflating metrics, draining budgets, and eroding trust across the global advertising landscape.

Ad Fraud Impact and Financial Losses

The global ad fraud losses are projected to reach $42 billion in 2023
Invalid traffic accounts for approximately 36% of digital ad spend globally
Up to 70% of ad impressions in certain mobile app categories are fraudulent
Viewability rates for digital ads are often below 50% due to ad fraud
81% of digital advertisers estimate that at least 10% of their traffic is fraudulent
Programmatic ad fraud accounts for approximately 30% of all ad fraud cases
The average cost of ad fraud per campaign can reach up to $10,000
Bot traffic inflates digital ad metrics, causing up to 50% of impressions to be non-human traffic
Ad fraud is responsible for approximately 25% of all non-human ad traffic globally
Mobile advertising accounts for nearly 90% of ad fraud detected
The industry loses over $12 billion annually due to ad fraud
Fake app install fraud accounts for about 35% of app install fraud losses
Approximately 20-30% of digital ad impressions are viewed fraudulently
Ad fraud has increased by 15% year-over-year
78% of publishers report they have experienced some form of ad fraud
Programmatic advertising is estimated to have up to 40% of impressions generated by bots
Ad fraud leads to an estimated 20% loss in revenue for small to medium-sized publishers
The use of sophisticated AI-driven bots accounts for nearly 40% of ad fraud
Fraudulent programmatic ad spend makes up about 50% of total programmatic spend in some regions
The cost of ad fraud per impression can be as low as $0.01 but accumulates significantly over large campaigns
More than 30% of advertisers have been forced to cancel campaigns due to suspected ad fraud
Ad fraud causes a 15-20% increase in average campaign costs for marketers
Fraudulent traffic in video advertising is estimated to be around 50%
The average bounce rate for fraudulent traffic is nearly 40%, leading to inefficient advertising spend
The percentage of ad budgets wasted on fraudulent traffic is estimated at 10-15%
Approximately 30% of mobile ad installs are falsely attributed due to fraud
Transparency issues caused by ad fraud result in an estimated 12% loss in overall media effectiveness
About 60% of digital ad fraud involves some form of automation or bot activity
Viewability fraud accounts for 30% of the overall ad fraud landscape
The cost of ad fraud to brands in the U.S. alone is estimated to surpass $8 billion annually
40% of digital ad traffic in certain channels is generated by bots or fraudulent activities
Malicious malware attacks are responsible for about 25% of ad fraud incidents
The cost to combat ad fraud through technology solutions has increased by approximately 60% over the past five years
The prevalence of ad fraud in connected TV (CTV) advertising is rising, accounting for roughly 25% of all CTV ad spend
Over 50% of digital marketers are unaware of the true levels of ad fraud affecting their campaigns
Approximately 10% of programmatic ad impressions are associated with sophisticated invalid traffic

Ad Fraud Impact and Financial Losses Interpretation

With global ad fraud projected to hit $42 billion in 2023—shrouding half of all impression metrics in bot-driven shadows—it's clear that unless digital marketers tighten their defenses, their ad budgets risk becoming the industry's most expensive ghost town.

Ad Fraud Types and Techniques

70% of ad fraud is attributed to domain spoofing, where legitimate publishers' domains are faked
The false impression of ad viewability accounts for roughly 45% of ad fraud cases

Ad Fraud Types and Techniques Interpretation

With over 70% of ad fraud stemming from domain spoofing and nearly half of fraud cases fueled by fake viewability, the digital advertising world must confront the unsettling reality that much of its integrity is built on a house of cards — or, more precisely, a deck of falsified domains.

Effects on Advertisers and Marketing Metrics

Approximately 65% of digital marketers believe ad fraud directly impacts their ROI

Effects on Advertisers and Marketing Metrics Interpretation

With nearly two-thirds of digital marketers acknowledging that ad fraud erodes their ROI, it's clear that in the digital advertising game, honesty isn't always the best click.

Industry Response and Detection Tools

The use of ad verification tools has increased by 25% over the past two years among digital advertisers
Ad fraud detection solutions have grown at an annual rate of 50% over the last three years
The use of blockchain technology to combat ad fraud is emerging, with over 15% of industry players experimenting with it in 2023
Approximately 70% of ad fraud instances could be mitigated with more advanced detection techniques
The average rate of ad fraud detection success among current solutions is approximately 83%

Industry Response and Detection Tools Interpretation

As digital advertisers bolster their defenses with a 25% rise in verification tools and a 50% surge in fraud detection solutions, the emergence of blockchain experimentation hints at a promising, yet still evolving, frontier—while nearly 70% of ad fraud could be nipped in the bud with more sophisticated techniques, the current detection success rate of 83% underscores both progress and the ongoing need for innovation.

Regional and Platform-Specific Trends

Approximately 55% of all ad fraud originates from traffic sources in Asia
The Asia-Pacific region has seen the highest increase in ad fraud incidents in 2023, with a 20% rise
The percentage of ad spending lost to fraud varies significantly by region, with North America experiencing around 12%
The rate of ad fraud is higher in emerging markets, with some regions experiencing up to 25% of ad traffic being fraudulent

Regional and Platform-Specific Trends Interpretation

With over half of ad fraud emanating from Asia and emerging markets facing up to 25% of their traffic being counterfeit, the global advertising industry must urgently sharpen its defenses or risk pouring billions into illusions rather than conversions.