Click fraud at Google and Yahoo

TheEnforcer · 04-17-2005

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2005Apr16.html

Sunday Business
Clicking To Steal
When Advertisers Pay by the Look, Fraud Artists See Their Chance

By David A. Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 17, 2005; Page F01

To Texas-based Auctions Expert International LLC, it was an easy way to make money on the Internet. Sign up with Google, which functions as a kind of online ad agency, and agree to let the online giant place ads on your Web site. Then, every time someone clicks on one of the ads, the advertiser pays a fee, and Google shares that fee with Auctions Expert.

The problem, according to a lawsuit filed last year by Google, is that Auctions Expert began clicking on the ads itself, artificially inflating the number of clicks and driving up the bills sent to advertisers.

Auctions Expert allegedly recruited as many as 50 people to click on online advertising, generating about $50,000 in ad revenue. The self-clicking was "worthless to advertisers, but generated significant and unjust revenue for defendants," the Google lawsuit said.

Auctions Expert, Google claims, appeared to be created solely to profit from manipulating the Internet ad process. A person answering the phone at the home of Sergio Marfin, an Auctions Expert executive named in the Google lawsuit, said Marfin was unavailable for comment.

Google, Yahoo and other providers of online ads said they are increasingly being targeted by online fraudsters, who exploit weaknesses in the Internet ad system to generate revenue or hurt their competitors. The Internet giants said they are working to combat the problem, but some advertisers accuse the companies of not moving aggressively enough because they also profit from the scams.

The tension comes as the click, click, click of the computer mouse steadily becomes the cyberspace equivalent of a cash register ringing up sales. These days, millions of computer users are clicking away on the small text ads set off from search engine results or other Web content, generating billions of dollars in fees paid annually by advertisers to Google and Yahoo and their Web partners.

Users seem to appreciate the fact that the tiny ads are less intrusive than other types of online marketing, such as those Internet pitches that pop up unbidden on the computer screen. And since advertisers typically pay only when someone interested in their products clicks on one of the ads, the system has proved to be a more cost-effective way to generate sales than banner ads and many types of traditional marketing.

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Click link for full article.

Lots of people use Google, etc for income generation. Interesting article that shows you may not be getting your moneys worth.

Trev · 04-17-2005

Getting 50 people to do the clicking was just stupid, 10 would have been enough and they might not have been caught

h34r:

baddog · 04-17-2005

I can't believe this is just becoming newsworthy

Inabon · 04-17-2005

LOL it is funny Adult industry moved away from ppc long ass time ago and know these fuckers are getting worried about it.

PSST YAHOO, GOOGLE YOU KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED PAY PER SIGNUP LOL

Pro_Zac · 04-17-2005

Sounds like good business smarts to me!

04-17-2005	#2
Trev Cunty Want to see your own Advertising Here! Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 10,150	Getting 50 people to do the clicking was just stupid, 10 would have been enough and they might not have been caught h34r: __________________ Sucks to be you.

04-17-2005	#1
TheEnforcer Scored VIP to Anton's Piss Tank Want to see your own Advertising Here! Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 8,781	http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2005Apr16.html Sunday Business Clicking To Steal When Advertisers Pay by the Look, Fraud Artists See Their Chance By David A. Vise Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, April 17, 2005; Page F01 To Texas-based Auctions Expert International LLC, it was an easy way to make money on the Internet. Sign up with Google, which functions as a kind of online ad agency, and agree to let the online giant place ads on your Web site. Then, every time someone clicks on one of the ads, the advertiser pays a fee, and Google shares that fee with Auctions Expert. The problem, according to a lawsuit filed last year by Google, is that Auctions Expert began clicking on the ads itself, artificially inflating the number of clicks and driving up the bills sent to advertisers. Auctions Expert allegedly recruited as many as 50 people to click on online advertising, generating about $50,000 in ad revenue. The self-clicking was "worthless to advertisers, but generated significant and unjust revenue for defendants," the Google lawsuit said. Auctions Expert, Google claims, appeared to be created solely to profit from manipulating the Internet ad process. A person answering the phone at the home of Sergio Marfin, an Auctions Expert executive named in the Google lawsuit, said Marfin was unavailable for comment. Google, Yahoo and other providers of online ads said they are increasingly being targeted by online fraudsters, who exploit weaknesses in the Internet ad system to generate revenue or hurt their competitors. The Internet giants said they are working to combat the problem, but some advertisers accuse the companies of not moving aggressively enough because they also profit from the scams. The tension comes as the click, click, click of the computer mouse steadily becomes the cyberspace equivalent of a cash register ringing up sales. These days, millions of computer users are clicking away on the small text ads set off from search engine results or other Web content, generating billions of dollars in fees paid annually by advertisers to Google and Yahoo and their Web partners. Users seem to appreciate the fact that the tiny ads are less intrusive than other types of online marketing, such as those Internet pitches that pop up unbidden on the computer screen. And since advertisers typically pay only when someone interested in their products clicks on one of the ads, the system has proved to be a more cost-effective way to generate sales than banner ads and many types of traditional marketing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Click link for full article. Lots of people use Google, etc for income generation. Interesting article that shows you may not be getting your moneys worth.

04-17-2005	#3
baddog Members Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 213	I can't believe this is just becoming newsworthy

04-17-2005	#4
Inabon One Miiiiiiiiilllllliiiiiiooooonnnnn Dollars Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Panamá Posts: 1,585	LOL it is funny Adult industry moved away from ppc long ass time ago and know these fuckers are getting worried about it. PSST YAHOO, GOOGLE YOU KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED PAY PER SIGNUP LOL

04-17-2005	#5
Pro_Zac Members Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 101	Sounds like good business smarts to me!