Is COVID-19 Lockdown Keeping the Fraudsters Also Home?

The effects of the COVID-19 has put the entire world under a terrible lockdown condition. But, the cyber threats have grown substantially, and this is just the beginning phase of its earliest impact

With self-isolation getting enforced globally, the workers are now adapting to the new world of remote working. This is an excellent opportunity for fraudsters as they continue to exploit the vulnerable security systems of the firms.

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Recent research by Adjust’s fraud team confirmed an increase in fraudulent activity with the advent of coronavirus, and their business touched the peak throughout March as lockdown got enforced globally. Adjust recorded about a 16% month-on-month rise in the fraudulent installs, with an average 36% above February’s activity.

With an overall decrease in app installs and sessions, especially across the travel and e-commerce industry – there is now much lesser market demand than usual. Under ordinary circumstances, this would have resulted in increasing the CPMs – but, in this case, it has fallen lower. This is precisely why the unscrupulous publishers have started selling fraudulent traffic to maintain lower prices. In fact, Adjust confirms an overall rise in cyber frauds, blocking a much larger number of fake installs than in any typical month.

It’s clear that in the current situation, fraudsters are continually working on getting more opportunities as compared to regular times. The app providers need to analyze KPIs all through the user funnel and look for irregularities, including conversion rates, click rates, store discrepancies, and other figures, which seem unrealistic.

Another significant sign of potentially fraudulent behavior is when some networks refuse to send over impression information along with click data. It is crucial to tying the two data points together as it enables the marketers to check whether the same device established a matching engagement. In case any network withholds any such information, it is essential to know why.

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New ways to exploit are continuously being developed by fraudsters, even during the pandemic. Yet that doesn’t make the underlying systems vary. It is incredibly crucial to understand the limitations within which the fraudsters operate. Enterprises need to continue to stay aware of the current fraud climate developing the best defenses against them. It is essential to always question the sources, examine the vendors, and challenge the existing data security systems.

Fraudsters are incredibly active, and the threat is growing, even darker in the current COVID-19 situation. Continued vigilance against fraud is a must for marketers to survive this wave of uncertainty.