In recent years, online advertising has become increasingly popular as a way to reach out to potential customers. However, there is a downside to this trend: lead fraud. Lead fraud occurs when a person, bot or entity creates fake leads in order to collect money from businesses that are paying for leads. This can be done by creating fake websites or using bots to generate fake traffic.
What is Google ads lead fraud?
In recent years, online advertising has become increasingly popular as a way to reach out to potential customers. However, as with any online activity, there is always the potential for fraud. One type of fraud that has been increasing in the world of online advertising is Google ads lead fraud.
This type of fraud occurs when a person, bot or entity creates a fake lead, usually providing false or fake contact information, in order to get paid by an advertiser through Google Ad Clicks. The problem with this type of fraud is that it can be difficult to detect, and it can end up being costly; whether that be through non-detection of fraudulent clicks or loss of productivity based on following up leads that weren’t previously detected as fraudulent.
Who is behind Google ads lead fraud?
There are many people behind Google ads lead fraud. Some are individuals who are looking to make a quick buck, while others are part of larger organizations that are looking to take advantage of businesses that use Google ads. Each one will have some sort of site or platform they are using to display Google Ads; whether that be a YouTube channel or content website with information that may appear relevant to your own websites.
The methods associated with Google Lead fraud are very similar and targeted. The source of the lead in general will be from non-standard Google ads PPC campaigns (e.g. Display or Performance Marketing), the volumes will be at first minimal and then build up over time and the leads will almost at all times have some tell-tale signs of being fake; such as email addresses from throwaway email websites, similar IP addresses that can be traced back to VPNs or referral URLs that don’t exist or are clearly fraudulent websites.
If you suspect that you are being targeted by Google ads lead fraud, the best thing to do is to report it to your Google Ads account manager so that they can investigate and take action to protect other businesses from being scammed.
How can you protect yourself from Google ads lead fraud?
There are a few ways you can protect yourself from Google ads lead fraud. The first is to be aware of the signs of fraud, which include unexpected increases in leads, leads from unfamiliar locations, and leads with suspicious contact information. If you notice any of these signs, you should investigate the lead further.
Another way to protect yourself is to set up a lead verification system. This system can help you to confirm that the lead is real and that the contact information is accurate. Lead verification may include checking IP addresses, looking historically at fraudulent leads from domain names and checking to see if leads contain the same domain names or phone number verification, checking area codes to see if they match IP address location. Leads that seem to be coming from the same IP address or location is a telltale sign that you may have a fraudulent lead issue.
What should you do if you think you’ve been a victim of Google ads lead fraud?
As previously mentioned, you should always report any suspicious leads to Google. By doing so, you can help to protect other fellow advertisers from being scammed and ensure that Google provide refunds for fraudulent clicks.
Cleanse your database to ensure you have removed any fraudulent leads or mark the leads are fake. The quicker you can complete this, the less likely that one of your sales team will commence the follow up process.
Automate lead checks prior to and after lead submission. This is vital in eliminating as many fraudulent leads as possible. Make use of systems that allow for verification before the lead is submitted if it is deemed suspicious. An example is Human verification. While you don’t want to put off a potential customer by asking them to identify for example where the traffic lights are in a set of pictures to see if they are human, most consumers are now aware that organizations need to include verification steps in their contact processes.
Conclusion
Google Ads lead fraud is a serious problem that can have a major impact on businesses. Businesses that rely on Google Ads to generate leads can be easily taken advantage of by fraudsters creating fake leads that businesses will pay for in some shape or form, but will never receive any benefits from.
References
“Performance Max Lead quality – How do I reduce fraudulent leads?” – https://www.searchadvertising.com.au/performance-max-lead-quality-how-do-i-reduce-fraudulent-leads/
“Beware of Google Ads Lead Fraud” – https://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/beware-google-ads-lead-fraud-02267291
“How to spot and avoid Google Ads lead fraud” – https://www.clickz.com/how-to-spot-and-avoid-google-ads-lead-fraud/121424/
“Google Ads Lead Fraud: How to Protect Your Business” – https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2018/04/17/google-ads-lead-fraud