big retailers are spending big money on paid click ads. unfortunately, there is also a lot of click fraud, which could be costing them millions.

1. Retail Brands
Suffering Ad Fraud
Dr. Augustine Fou
http://linkd.in/augustinefou
acfou @mktsci .com
November 2013
-1-
Augustine Fou

2. Executive Summary
• Click fraud usually happens on “search
partners” sites; there are many examples of
fake sites with no traffic, but lots of ad clicks
• Big retailers’ big spending on search ads
- Walmart.com - $4M per month
- Sears.com - $1.5M per month
- Macys.com - $900k /mo
- JCPenney.com - $800k /mo
-2-
Augustine Fou

3. Walmart.com - $4M/mo
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
-3-
Augustine Fou

4. Walmart.com
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
-4-
Augustine Fou

5. Analyzecancerhelp .com
-5-
Augustine Fou

6. Walmart Search Ad
-6-
Augustine Fou

7. Walmart.com Target Page
http://www.walmart.com/
search/searchng.do?search_query=Und
ercoating&adid=2222222
2224089987004&wmlspa
rtner=wmtlabs&wl0=170
2946621&wl1=b&wl2=e
veryday%20low%20price
s&wl3=14232221161&ve
h=sem
-7-
Augustine Fou

8. Display Ads: Walmart
1,869 ads
Source: Moat
December 2013
-8-
Augustine Fou

9. Target.com - $2M/mo
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
-9-
Augustine Fou

10. Target.com
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
- 10 -
Augustine Fou

11. Display Ads: Target
2,495 ads
Source: Moat
December 2013
- 11 -
Augustine Fou

12. Sears.com - $1.5M/mo
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
- 12 -
Augustine Fou

13. Sears.com
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
- 13 -
Augustine Fou

14. Betterhealthprof ilingplus.com
- 14 -
Augustine Fou

15. Sears Search Ad
- 15 -
Augustine Fou

16. Sears.com Target Page
http://www.sears.com/aut
omotive-tires-wheelstires-all-tires/b1289603153?sid=ISx2007
0515x00001d&psid=32x1
59746&knshCrid=663997
125&k_clickID=1b83b3c
2-6d5b-f629-13f500006d4661fa
- 16 -
Augustine Fou

17. Display Ads: Sears
996 ads
Source: Moat
December 2013
- 17 -
Augustine Fou

18. Macys.com - $900k/mo
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
- 18 -
Augustine Fou

19. Most Expensive Keywords
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
- 19 -
Augustine Fou

20. Besthealthresearch bonus.com
- 20 -
Augustine Fou

21. Macys Search Ad
- 21 -
Augustine Fou

22. Macys.com Target Page
http://www1.macys.co
m/shop/mattresses?cm
_mmc=MSN_Macys_
Mattress-_-DES++US+-+Mattresses++Generic+ph_Twin+Mattresses_-3590559515_e-_twin%20mattress_mk
wid_ecyF8SUD9_359
0559515%7C%7CcyF8SUD9
- 22 -
Augustine Fou

23. Display Ads: Macy’s
2,075 ads
Source: Moat
December 2013
- 23 -
Augustine Fou

24. JCPenney.com -- $800k/mo
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
- 24 -
Augustine Fou

25. JCPenney.com
Source: iSpionage Nov 2013
- 25 -
Augustine Fou

26. Bettercanceradvice .com
- 26 -
Augustine Fou

27. JCPenney Search Ad
- 27 -
Augustine Fou

28. JCPenney Target Page
http://www.jcpenney.c
om/index.jsp?cm_mm
c=msn%20nontrademark-_m_apparel_neutral_ge
neral-_m_clothing_bmm_131
1-_-clothing
- 28 -
Augustine Fou

29. Display Ads: JCPenney
829 ads
Source: Moat
December 2013
- 29 -
Augustine Fou

30. More Bad Guy Sites
- 30 -
Augustine Fou

31. More Identical Sites
http://picturesandbox.com/screengrab/grid.php
- 31 -
Augustine Fou

32. Dozens of Identical Sites
1
2
6
7
3
8
4
5
9
10
11
- 32 -
12
13
14
15
16
17
Augustine Fou

33. Related Articles
Bad Guys Happily Rob Display Advertisers
By: Augustine Fou, July 23, 2012
Everything Fake (Display Ad Fraud, Search Click Fraud)
By: Augustine Fou, April 2013
Blacklisting vs Whitelisting
By: Augustine Fou, October 2013
Visual Proof of Click Fraud
By: Augustine Fou, November 2013
How Display Ad Fraud Works
By: Augustine Fou, May 2013
- 33 -
Augustine Fou

34. Dr. Augustine Fou – Digital Forensics
“I advise clients on optimizing
advertising across all channels. Using
insights and fast-feedback loops from
digital, we can not only target brand ads
better, but we can 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
- 34 -
@acfou
Augustine Fou