fashion brands that spend money on paid search may be losing a significant portion of their ad dollars to ad fraud. Here are a few examples of big brands suffering from this. It can be corrected quickly through forensic analysis but ongoing maintenance also needs to be done.

1. Fashion Brands
Suffering Ad Fraud
Dr. Augustine Fou
January 2014
acfou@mktsci.com
212-203-7239
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Augustine Fou

2. Search Ad Fraud:
Rebecca Minkoff
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Augustine Fou

3. Most Expensive Keywords
Source: iSpionage Dec 2013
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Augustine Fou

4. Search Ad Fraud
Site:
http://analyzecancer
help .com
Keyword:
Rebecca Minkoff
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Augustine Fou

5. Redirect Link
http://viewsite.me/landing.php?p=Qlpo
OTFBWSZTWZgWyowAAICfgAMDf
%2BIlABAAP%2B%2FeADAAyzRU8
SntNJGyntU9DUA9Q%2FVCKNMM
k2moAaAADVT9ANNRsqNPUNqNA
BaVjglb8%2FnbFjIayCFuhL3bw%2BF
zDcyHJ8Cid4cru0mjZ2CRkxcHyXrIAI
QdFpnHZHELwmitFKA1Z1QKl8Barj
ghMeTHWpkMILwyk9Zyo%2FaNFia
vvo0ZzI%2FW%2FUM4ex2t4IC4IrS
WnCMGi5LaYdOn5vKZocMajmrD5n
N1aHTVEqmwsdl9e3qwCctV3HrJkz8
3%2Bz4xSLAIEEkwTN%2FF3JFOFC
QmBbKjAA%3D%3D&f=224&m=238
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Known blackhat
technique to hide real
referrer and replace with
faked referrer.
See how-to:
http://www.blackhatworld.
com/blackhatseo/cloaking-contentgenerators/36830cloaking-redirectreferer.html
Augustine Fou

6. Landing Page
http://www.rebeccamink
off.com/shop.html?utm_
source=msn&utm_mediu
m=cpc&utm_campaign=
MINKOFF_GENERAL
&utm_term=rebecca%20
minkoff
passing fake
source/referrer
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Augustine Fou

7. Search Ad Fraud:
Saks Fifth Avenue
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Augustine Fou

8. Most Expensive Keywords
Source: iSpionage Dec 2013
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Augustine Fou

9. Search Ad Fraud
Site:
http://coloncancerinf
onow .com/
Keyword:
saks
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Augustine Fou

10. Redirect Link
http://viewsite.me/landing.php?p=Qlpo
OTFBWSZTWTcCNGsAAIFfgEAAA
wN%2F4iUAEAA%2F798AMADMm
Kp%2BQmJlPTTKeTTCg9IyFJoZMjJ
pkaDTJgQIp5NMgTaUNMj1GQAZtc
%2FPBYc%2FjKjiaCvgsWyic9ubnNku
yRzWc0yCVCBjU0xN2N0xlesT5iOG
0DaNgQMKOsQKSlGj3bWlwkIahOa
manaD0fVGQuL8urUdlWBjvkRBIU3
MsWNE8ndiIOCXh7AhHEAKN0gXb
yzBUSe4WT1258YeFqkVPdTWfZbgV
%2BvpNuj5AyoUZH5WwqNJoD1RY
QTdHDqOYhKOdLlM4crMj8%2FCU
o%2F4u5IpwoSBuBGjWA%3D%3D&
f=224&m=238&cfa=1
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Known blackhat
technique to hide real
referrer and replace with
faked referrer.
See how-to:
http://www.blackhatworld.
com/blackhatseo/cloaking-contentgenerators/36830cloaking-redirectreferer.html
Augustine Fou

11. Landing Page
http://www.saksfifthaven
ue.com/Entry.jsp?site_re
fer=360i+M&kw_refer=
saks
passing fake
source/referrer
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Augustine Fou

12. Search Ad Fraud
Backgrounder
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Augustine Fou

13. How Click Fraud Works
“vacuum cleaner” keyword
Walmart search ad
Bot clicks through
to walmart.com
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Augustine Fou

14. Pass Fake URL Trackers
http://www.olay.com/skincare-products/OlayProX?utm_source=msn&utm
_medium=cpc&utm_camp
aign=Olay_Search_Deskto
p_Category+Interest+Prod
uct.Phrase&utm_term=eye
%20cream&utm_content=
TZsrSzFz_eye%20cream_
p_2990456911
passing fake
source/referrer
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Augustine Fou

15. Other Bad Guy Domains
http://analyzecanceradvice .com
http://analyzecancerhelp .com
http://bestcanceropinion .com
http://bestcancerproducts .com
http://bestcancerresults .com
http://besthealthopinion .com
http://bettercanceradvice .com
http://bettercancerhelp .com
http://betterhealthopinion .com
http://findcanceropinion .com
http://findcancerresource .com
http://findcancertopics .com
http://findhealthopinion .com
http://finestcanceradvice .com
http://finestcancerhelp .com
http://finestcancerresults .com
http://getcancerproducts .com
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96,000+ more
sites like
these, designed to
show search ads
and self-click on
them to steal CPC
ad dollars
Augustine Fou

16. Search Ad Clicks
20 - 40%
fraudulent, accidental, wasted
Source: Adometry Click Fraud Report 1H 2013
IAB: FY 2012 Search Ad Spend = $16.8B
• Search ad fraud is a bit more involved to commit and usually
occurs on “search partner” sites (not the main search sites)
• Bad guys set up sites with no content, execute searches with
lucrative keywords, and click the ads with bots
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Augustine Fou

17. CPC Fraud ~$5B/yr
Source: ClickForensics 2006 - 2010
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Source: IAB 2012 Annual Report
Augustine Fou

18. Biggest PPC Spenders
Insurance est. Spending:
-
Statefarm.com - $46M /yr
Geico.com - $44M
Progressive.com - $34M
Esurance.com - $28M
Allstate.com - $25M
USAA.com - $21M
Many CPCs from $60 - $78
Retailers est. Spending:
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Walmart.com - $48M /yr
Sears.com - $18M annually
Macys.com - $11M per year
JCPenney.com - $9.6M
CPCs range from $15 - $63
Augustine Fou

19. Digital Ad Forensics Process
Preliminary Scan
Sizing of
ad fraud
Forensic Analysis
Maintenance
• Technology Tools
• Statistical analysis
• Budget shifts
• Further optimization
Implementation
FREE
$$$
$
Preliminary analysis of
paid campaigns and
analytics to determine
magnitude of the ad
fraud impacting client.
Creating recommended
list of
changes, including list
of sites to exclude in
each ad channel.
Subscribe to
triangulated, cross-industry
database of “ad fraud
offenders” to continuously
update blacklists and
whitelists.
Augustine Fou
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20. Related Articles
Digital Ad Fraud Briefing
By: Augustine Fou December 2013
Fake YouTube Videos
By: Augustine Fou, December 2013
How Display Fraud Works
By: Augustine Fou, May 2013
Fake Linkedin Profiles
By: Augustine Fou, December 2013
How Click Fraud Works
By: Augustine Fou, November 2013
Fake Facebook Profiles
By: Augustine Fou, Dec 2013
The Magnitude of Digital Ad Fraud
By: Augustine Fou, November 2013
Fake Twitter Accounts
By: Augustine Fou, August 2013
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Augustine Fou

21. Dr. Augustine Fou – Digital Forensics
“I advise clients on optimizing
advertising across all channels. Using
advanced technical forensic techniques
and custom tchnology tools, we detect
and mitigate ad fraud and waste.”
FORMER CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER, HCG (OMNICOM)
MCKINSEY CONSULTANT
CLIENT SIDE / AGENCY SIDE EXPERIENCE
PROFESSOR AND COLUMNIST
ENTREPRENEUR / SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
PHD MATERIALS SCIENCE (MIT '95) AT AGE 23
ClickZ Articles: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-clickz
Slideshares: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-slideshares
LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/augustinefou
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@acfou
Augustine Fou