Ad fraud scheme ViperBot attempts to steal $8m a month from CTV and mobile video
DoubleVerify has discovered an ad fraud scheme, called ViperBot, that has attempted to steal millions of dollars from connected television and mobile video.
To date, “ViperBot” has spoofed more than five million devices and up to 85 million ad requests per day / Pixabay
The platform said ViperBot has made attempts to steal over $8m each month in ad spend from these channels.
DoubleVerify said the ad fraud scheme does this by stripping the code that verifies ad impressions, before concealing and redirecting this code through real devices to hide the fraudulent activity in an attempt to go undetected.
To date, ViperBot has spoofed more than 5m devices and up to 85m ad requests a day, undercutting ad investments and performance when solutions that can protect against ViperBot are not implemented, according to DoubleVerify.
“ViperBot is one of the most sophisticated fraud schemes that DoubleVerify has ever identified,“ said Mark Zagorski, chief executive at DoubleVerify. “The dynamic nature of fraud schemes underscores the fact that advertisers need a partner who is laser-focused on protecting their interests – and who operates independently of the media transaction to remain neutral when determining the quality of inventory.
“Efficient and transparent media buying leads to better outcomes for brands. By uncovering ViperBot, we can give brands greater confidence in their digital investment while ensuring campaign performance.”