DoubleVerify today released information that says ad fraud on websites classified as copyright infringement could be costing online advertisers $6.8 million per month. In the release,
the fraud process is described as moving ad impressions "through a complex series of redirects that make the ads appear as though they originated on legitimate sites containing advertiser-friendly
content." After studying over 3 million websites, DoubleVerify found over 1,200 suspicious websites in copyright infringement categories.
Just last week, Solve Media suggested that $4 billion worth of
advertising money (both online and mobile) would be lost due to fraud this year. $6.8 million per month doesn't come close to $4 billion per year, but it's an alarming figure nonetheless. “Copyright infringement is a significant issue that is siphoning dollars away from the creative community,” stated Jon Taplin, director of Annenberg Innovation Lab.
Additionally, 3% of all network/RTB-purchased impressions were delivered on one of the 1,200 suspicious websites. Suspicious or fraudulent activity will likely always exist, but
advertisers will be more hesitant with automation if the problem persists.