Internet Click Fraud

A study conducted by Outsell Inc., a market researcher in Burlingame, and reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, reveals a huge fraud charging customers for erroneous clicks. Here’s an alarming summary of the finding as published in the original article:

Clicks believed by advertisers to be fraudulent: 14.6 percent

Money paid by advertisers for bogus clicks: $800 million (2005)

Advertisers who said they were victims of click fraud: 75 percent

Advertisers who said they reduced click-based advertising or plan to: 37 percent

Revenue lost by Google, Yahoo and other Web sites, as a result: $500 million

Advertisers who request refunds because of fraud: 7 percent

Average refund: $9,507

Source: Outsell Inc.

This article appeared on page C – 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle. Click Here to read original article.