Google lawsuit over click fraud!

[anthonycea]

Google has filed suit against a major click fraud Adsense Publisher.

http://news.com.com/Google+gets+gruff+over+click+fraud/2100-1024_3-5463243.html?tag=html.alert

This is great and needed since there is a lot of this going on, firms that specialize in click fraud are mostly in India but this outfit is here in the good old USA.

Where is Lawsuit when you need him? I miss the kid, wish he was still here :mad: ;) :D

[chachi]

Anthony, you must be one of the fastest readers out there. Between researching this stuff, posting and discussing it here...I don't know how you have the time to do anything else. :)

[anthonycea]

I am lucky to have any time to post, I am working a concrete construction job to try to stay alive.

So you got it the wrong way around my man.

[Mia]

Seems their web site is off the air... Google has it cached though: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:bNEtxSMcQC8J:www.auctionsexpert.com/auction_services.htm+Auctions+Expert+International&hl=en&client=firefox-a

This does beg the question of Googles fraud detection. One wonders how long it takes them to detect a problem? I would imagine a site that does like $1 a week that goes to $200 a day overnight would be a clear indication. Not 100% as you could be slash dotted, or lucky, but it would seem kinda suspicious.. Anyway, I would imagine most AdSense clicks are quite consistent with most. Anyway..

[melfan]

I wonder how can google can win this one?

[Mia]

Simple.. When you sign up for AdSense you agree to their TOS. It is a contract. If they violated it, then Google can seek damages.. This of course is a civil matter, not a criminal one. You can sue anyone in a civil court for anything.

[melfan]

Yes i know that but how can they prove that you intentionally violated TOS. Website owner can always say "its not me maybe its my competitor". Unless ofcoz he is do dumb that he used hi own IPs for clicking. :)

[Mia]

It would be pretty easy IMHO. I am not sure what Google is using, but from my own experience, I can pretty much tell what anyone that enters my network is doing, and where they are from, not 100%, but pretty close.. Given time, you would be surprised.. But it is not like they have people at google looking at every IP that accesses the system. It is automated. I would imagine that there is a grading/scoring system that works similar to the way many anti-spam systems work. It would be pretty easy to track patterns and have alerts sent when something odd is suspected. A quick look at access logs, where the incoming requests are coming from, not just IP, but netblock, http get, etc., are all things that could be easily combined to display some pretty conclusive evidence of fraud.

I would imagine if it where a "competitor" that too would be known, and they would likely be sueing them instead. Anyway, (please do not take this the wrong way), but in my American ignorance and arrogance (no, I do not think I am or American's in general are, but the world seems to view us that way at times).... anyway, when I see two Russians from Texas running an internet operation????? I am a bit suspect myself.. Again, no offense to any Ruskies on the list, but that is just my take from where I sit, and again, from experience.

Peace and Chicken Grease!

[cleanlava]

Will Google for sure win?

[anthonycea]

They already won, the publisher was banned from the program.

The industry needs to do something about click fraud, it ranges up to 20% of clicks and that is bad.

[Weirfire]

It's a bad deal for users of adsense and adwords who are using it correctly.

Fraudulent clicks on ads mean that those adverts being clicked are not converting to sales which mean the adwords user will pay less per click which in turn affects the adsense user.

[melfan]

They already won, the publisher was banned from the program.

Yes your definitely right. But I doubt the evidence they present in the court. As @Mia said theyre not 100%. For example, if I target a country like India where internet cafes (Or asian countries alike) are popular it would be very hard for google to determine invalid clicks from valid ones even theyre system is fully automated.

[compar]

I am lucky to have any time to post, I am working a concrete construction job to try to stay alive.

Just be carefully Anthony that someone doesn't fit you for a pair of concrete boots.

[Weirfire]

Ahhh, there's nothing like being owned by compar. :cool:

[anthonycea]

Hey Weirfire, my old buddy Bob (Compar) can pick on me anytime, I just told VS how much I have missed him on the forum.

Bob, we are starting to think your age is catching up with you, but I doubt it.

You better get back in gear, we miss you here Bob :) ;)

[Weirfire]

Aye, he's one of the people I respect most on this forum. He could teach us a heck of a lot on this caper we're just starting out on. :)

[oziii]

this is great news. I now of a number of people who have attempted to scam the system and when they were caught just set up new accounts. Hopefully this will be a warning to others and attract back disillusioned advertisers.

[compar]

Bob, we are starting to think your age is catching up with you, but I doubt it.
Na! Just too busy chasing young broads. :) Oh, and did I mention trying to make a living.

[anthonycea]

Dig that Bob, got to make the living first to keep the young chicks :p ;) :D