In today’s mobile app and advertising environment, a lot of activities happen in real-time, and it is not always real. While a good number of campaigns aim their advertising dollars at authentic users, some number of clicks or installs stem at least partially from bots or from some other fake source. These click or install activities waste money and undermine the marketing program. That is why every marketer needs an effective mobile fraud detection tool.
A mobile fraud detection tool provides companies a way to discover and defend against bot-driven installs, clicks, and traffic ahead of it having a detrimental effect.
What is a Mobile Fraud Detection Tool?
A mobile fraud detection tool is a type of software that observes your app campaigns for suspected or fake activity. This tool monitors patterns, for example, repeated clicks from the same device; installs traced back to a random or unusual source; or users that exhibit statistically unrealistic behaviours, and anything that may not look right is flagged for the marketer to investigate.
A mobile fraud detection tool is critical to help companies save potentially thousands of dollars from invalid ad traffic or fake installs. For example, consider that a bot is clicking the ads and pretending to be users, causing the marketer to pay for traffic that may never result in real customers.
Among the most competitive options on the market, Apptrove, as your mobile measurement partner and advanced mobile fraud detection tools, provides marketers with complete visibility, accurate reporting, and true protection against digital advertising fraud.
Why Mobile Ad Fraud Is a Growing Problem
Mobile ad fraud refers to what occurs when fraudsters use fake devices, bots, or click farms to defraud advertisers. These fake actions may inflate a campaign’s numbers seemingly – more clicks, more installs, etc. – however, the very real person behind those clicks does not exist.
Mobile ad fraud creates both waste and confusion for marketers when it comes to understanding which channels actually create results. This is why no serious marketer can neglect using a mobile fraud detection tool.
With a mobile fraud detection tool, the publisher is able to distinguish installs that are real from installs that are fake, thereby ensuring the cleanliness and accuracy of marketing data.
How Real-Time Fraud Detection Works
One of the most powerful features of a quality mobile fraud detection tool is its ability for real-time fraud detection. Real-time fraud detection means that the system can detect suspicious activity as it occurs – not hours or days after.
For example, real-time fraud detection can quickly see if hundreds of installs occur from the same IP address in under a few seconds, and then act upon that information. This protection keeps campaigns safe and ad spend from being wasted.
A quality fraud detection tool ensures that fraudsters cannot be rewarded for acquisition activity and that campaigns remain intact.
The Role of Mobile Fraud Prevention in App Marketing
Detection is essential, but Mobile fraud prevention is preventing fraud altogether. A mobile fraud detection platform doesn’t just react — it predicts and prevents. It learns from previous patterns of fraud to create stronger filters to block fake traffic as early as possible.
Mobile fraud prevention strategies will help protect ad campaigns across multiple platforms — Google, Meta, TikTok, etc. When mobile fraud prevention is layered with a robust mobile fraud detection platform, marketers can confidently run ad campaigns, knowing the data they are seeing is accurate.
Final thoughts
With mobile campaigns being the most prominent source of media spend, it is incredibly valuable to ensure your data remains clean and that your campaigns are trustworthy. A mobile fraud detection platform is no longer a nice-to-have — it is a must-have for any serious marketer.
When you combine real-time fraud detection and prevention strategies, in combination with strong education and awareness around mobile ad fraud, marketers can have stronger campaigns that are safe and more successful.
With the right partner — like Apptrove’s mobile fraud detection platform — you can focus on real growth, and feel confident that every click and install you are able to see is accurate.
