This is ridiculous. I've spoke with Google asking them for explaination and have got no response. I had one banner in my header for MONTHS. Well over 1 million impressions and probably 40 clicks in that amount of time -- the site was a hobby site and wasn't about money. Account was at like $25 and I just got banned. Adsense has become a total joke.
Yep, a total joke - I couldn't agree more. You're not alone - loads of people on here have been banned and, if you believe everything you read, 99% of them are innocent. If you use the appeal link that was in your suspension email you should get a reply from them but invariably in the negative.
Well, I can't say if those 40 clicks were from one person or 40 different people, but the onus can't be placed on the webmaster as we can't control what user's click on. Just makes no sense to me at all.
You've spotted the flaw in the plan - the loophole that allows AdSense to ban whoever and whenever they like. The onus is on the webmaster to prove their innocence but AdSense, like the cheap prostitutes they are, don't share the reason they banned you most of the time - how on earth are you meant to defend yourself? Luckily for you you're in the US so you can hop across to YPN instead.