Ad fraud impact 2026
Global statistics demonstrating click fraud's effects on advertising budget and performance
Ad fraud stats across every industry
Paid search click fraud
On paid search campaigns, an average of 14% of all clicks are from non-genuine sources.
Bots are responsible for approximately 24% of all clicks, contributing significantly to click fraud.
Small businesses are especially vulnerable, with click fraud eating up as much as 30% of their advertising budget.
Bot networks are responsible for nearly 40% of click fraud, utilizing large collections of devices to generate fake clicks.
Up to 16% of clicks on paid search campaigns are estimated to be fraudulent or invalid.
Click fraud rates in search campaigns can range between 14% to 22%, depending on industry and geographic location.
Affiliate fraud impact
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Fraudulent clicks accounted for 17% of 2022's affiliate traffic, and cost companies an estimated $3.4 billion.
Sub-ID manipulation or fraud accounts for approximately 8% to 12% of affiliate fraud incidents.
Mobile affiliate fraud rates can be up to 50% higher compared to desktop due to vulnerabilities in mobile tracking.
An estimated 25% of leads generated through affiliate marketing campaigns can be fake or of poor quality.
Cookie stuffing schemes affect around 5% to 10% of affiliate marketing transactions, artificially attributing sales to affiliates.
Bots contribute to approximately 24% of all affiliate marketing traffic, generating fraudulent clicks and transactions.
