Ad fraud impact 2026
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.
