The Trouble With Click Fraud?

Click fraud involves the process of intentionally clickingcost.
ads listed on your website for the purpose of earningThose who participate in the act of click fraud should
money rather than intending to view the products ofbe very careful. There are strict guidelines in place by
the advertiser. Adsense involves placing ads on yourGoogle to protect the reputation of their Adsense
website for other businesses. The way your websiteoperations. Anyone caught participating in click fraud
makes money is determined by the number of clickswill be banned from further advertisements on their
to the advertiser's link. Most websites who participatewebsite. Google has invested 2.7 million for their Fraud
in Adsense are honest. However, the issue of clickSquad. They feel this investment is worthwhile though
fraud is happening more often on the internet as theas click fraud is a serious issue. It has the potential of
owner's of some websites have found it an enticingdestroying the entire advertising industry online as we
method of generating more money from theknow it.
advertisers.There are legal issues involved as well. A California
With the onset of click fraud, software has beenman was charged with obtaining more than $150,000
designed to analyze data based on the traffic to adue to click fraud in 2004. He has been indited by a
website. This information is used to determine theGrand Jury. However, there are no state or federal
possibility of click fraud. If you advertise this way youlaws yet against click fraud. This particular man was
should invest in click fraud software or you may payonly indited in his scam because he came clean about
more for advertising than you should be. This softwareit with Google in a blackmail scheme. He was going to
costs from $99 to $299, so it is very cost effective. Itsell his secret of how he did it to Google for another
is believed as much as 20% of the cost advertisers$150,000. If they didn't give it to him he threatened to
are paying out each month is due to click fraud. Withkeep on doing it. If we can get state and federal laws
3.2 million dollars generated each year for this type ofto see click fraud as a classification of fraud with the
advertising, 20% is a very high dollar amount to bepossibility of a felony charge and jail time it may deter
losing!the amount of click fraud that takes place.
A common method of click fraud involves an onlineClick fraud is a huge issue that plagues the success of
robot that clicks away at the advertisements listed onAdsense. If you participate in Adsense then be
a particular website. This is the quickest method.warned on both sides of the field. As a provider of
Others either do it themselves, clicking away at thesuch advertising don't be tempted to click on the ads
ads on their own website or they hirer others toyourself or with an automated system. The risk of
perform the task for them at a price much less thangetting caught is very high as are the financial and legal
what they receive in return from the advertisers.repercussions. As an advertiser pay close attention to
Sometimes click fraud is done not to make money buthigh changes in advertising costs through Adsense.
to sabotage competitors. This is done by findingTake the time to question these increases. Is it click
websites that advertise for them and continually clickfraud or great increases in traffic? Have sales
the ads. This will then cost that competitor a great dealincreased? It is a great idea to invest in click fraud
of money they have to pay out for advertising withoutsoftware as well to protect your business as well as
any hopes of generating additional sales from thatyour advertising budget.