The second article concerns another aspect of click fraud - the people who perpetrate it. One example is a man who attempted to blackmail online giant Google because he had developed a software program that could supposedly bilk them out of millions of dollars with fraudulent clicks on their GoogleAds Web sites. The author of this article notes, "Click fraud is perpetrated in both automated and human ways. The most common method is the use of online robots, or 'bots,' programmed to click on advertisers' links that are displayed on Web sites or listed in search queries" (Olsen 2004). The author notes that several of the largest Web sites, like Google and Yahoo, employ teams of "fraud squads" who actively look for illegal advertising activity such as click fraud, in an attempt to deal with the problem. However, since so many of the fraudulent activities are based in foreign countries, it is difficult if not impossible to catch all of them. Many advertisers now know that this activity exists, and as the previous article notes, many more are keeping a close watch on their statistics and challenging any clicks they suspect may be fraudulent.
Perhaps the most surprising information in this article is that many rival companies engage in click fraud against their competitors. The author cites two examples of advertisers who click on other companies ads to deplete their marketing budgets and make their advertising less effective. This kind of activity would be difficult to prove and correct, and it seems like a very underhanded way to do business.
The final article...
It seems to replicate information that shows the clicker is legitimate, and even that the click results in sales, so the advertisers are satisfied it is a real click. It is a complicated process that entails infecting a user's computer and popping-up a bogus site that sends revenue to the perpetrator, even though the user is a valid customer spending money at the vendor's Web site. A Harvard Business School professor uncovered the fraud early this year, and admits it is extremely difficult to track and get rid of. The scheme is also based on agreements Google has with some of its advertising partners, some of which the professor believes should not continue partnering with Google, and Google acknowledges that they have issues with some of the partners who broker ads to sites that commit click fraud.
All of these articles indicate the growing reliance on the Internet in the population, and how that reliance has positive and negative effects. The Internet is a wealth of information and knowledge, but it can be a location for fraud, identity theft, and false information, as well.
References
Greenberg, Andy. "Google Faces The Slickest Click Fraud Yet." Forbes.com. http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/12/google-click-fraud-tech-security-trafficsolar.html.
Grow, Brian and Elgin, Ben. "Click Fraud: The Dark Side of Online Advertising." Business Week. 14-19.
Olsen, Stefanie. "Exposing Click Fraud." CNET News. http://news.cnet.com/Exposing-click-fraud/2100-1024_3-5273078.html.
