Click Fraud help, Competitor keeps sending fake clicks that don't get whitewashed by google.

Hey guys,

My ad is on the first position on google for a certain keyword, and my average all time cpc is $.16 for that keyword but recently i've been targeted by click fraud. The person doing this is very smart and knows how to bypass google invalid click detection.

This guy is most likely using different Ip's for each click. I've lost already $5,000 from fake overpriced clicks from this guy. I contacted google about this and they said that google whitewashed all invalid clicks but I know this isn't true because my cost per click goes up to $7-15 per click when this keyword has over a couple hundred clicks at $0.16. The person strikes me in intervals, sending me thousands of dollars of fake clicks at a time (my daily budget is high). Google whitewashes most of these clicks but a lot of clicks stick and do not get whitewashed. Google doesn't seem to think any of these clicks are fraud but I do know that they are. I cant trace the persons IP since he uses a new one for every fake click to my ad.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading.

 

are you advertising for a local company? tighten up the blacklist to exclude geo's and other factors that are suspicious?

 

I am 120% sure that they are fake clicks, and Im not going to give up so easily as $100,000s are involved.

It is a nationwide US ad

Edit: I meant i've gotten hundreds of thousands of clicks at $0,16, not hundreds

 

If you’re 100% sure they are fake clicks, do you have an idea of who they might be?

If so - seeing as there is so much money involved, a cease and desist letter from a solicitor may scare them off.

 

I have their link to the ad that he is running but no name or address to file a lawsuit..

 

Is the link to an individual or a busssiness website, does WhoIs not provide any information?

 

@WhiteHatWorlds,
Do you still suffer from this click fraud issue?

I would love to help you (as someone who suffered from the exact same thing I can relate with your situation)

 

I'm not in that case, but what if you can show some stats to google, like the time to visit is 0 sec from many people that came from your ads..maybe they can check deeper.
Otherwise, alternative ads can be relevant too (native ads like taboola or outbrain, or facebook ads....)
There is much less fraud in those ads system.

 

You're correct, BUT, you can request google investigation only every 2 months (invalid clicks submission) and you must add very elaborated clicks log report in order to prove google that you actually paid for invalid / fraudulent clicks. You can hire 3rd party click fraud detection company like Adtector (which i'm using) to fill and submit this report for you (I got $500 credit back to my account last time)