And get this, they can even pass signals about how far into the video ad the user watched (which quartile), by tricking the reporting. or by using javascript to click a specially crafted url that contained the fraudsters’ own affiliate ID (so they get paid). Mobile Performance Networks Claiming Credit for App InstallsA parallel example in a different channel is where mobile exchanges claim credit for app installs they didn’t drive. Other mobile networks fabricated the reports out of thin air - to make it appear that ads ran, when no ads were even run. The mobile exchanges were doing “organic stealing” which means they were taking credit for app installs that would have happened anyway.

Source: Forbes October 30, 2020 12:53 UTC