Click fraud bots for sale!!

[Paz]

Hi,

I'm always wary of PPC fraud. I know Google say they have sophisticated fraud detection algorithms but looking at their present indexing problems doesn't inspire me with confidence.

Anyway, PandaLabs claim to have discovered a network of 34,000 machines infected with Clickbot.A which can be used to defraud PPC search engines.

Apparently these zombie machines are available to rent, and can be re-programmed at any time because they check-in regularly to specific websites to get new instructions.

A few things come to mind here. Is it really so easy to defraud PPC clients, or are PandaSoft exaggerating the problem to try and sell their anti-virus software?

Secondly, it should be easy enough to trace and shut down the websites that the Clickbot viruses use to update themselves and I'm hope someone's actively pursuing that.

Finally, I'm wondering if PPC fraud will soon be so difficult to eliminate, that the whole model will collapse to be replaced by something that's more based on sales rather than just clicks, but of course that causes it's own problems.

The whole issue's tricky, and by settling the recent lawsuit for $90m, I can't help thinking that Google were trying to sweep it under the carpet. I don't think the issue's going away though.....

http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=4002

Cheers,
Paz.

[Blazingpie]

Hi,

I'm always wary of PPC fraud. I know Google say they have sophisticated fraud detection algorithms but looking at their present indexing problems doesn't inspire me with confidence.

Anyway, PandaLabs claim to have discovered a network of 34,000 machines infected with Clickbot.A which can be used to defraud PPC search engines.

Apparently these zombie machines are available to rent, and can be re-programmed at any time because they check-in regularly to specific websites to get new instructions.

A few things come to mind here. Is it really so easy to defraud PPC clients, or are PandaSoft exaggerating the problem to try and sell their anti-virus software?

Secondly, it should be easy enough to trace and shut down the websites that the Clickbot viruses use to update themselves and I'm hope someone's actively pursuing that.

Finally, I'm wondering if PPC fraud will soon be so difficult to eliminate, that the whole model will collapse to be replaced by something that's more based on sales rather than just clicks, but of course that causes it's own problems.

The whole issue's tricky, and by settling the recent lawsuit for $90m, I can't help thinking that Google were trying to sweep it under the carpet. I don't think the issue's going away though.....

http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=4002

Cheers,
Paz.


This whole thing is the reason why Im hesitant to enter the PPC market. I don't want to have to monitor my adsense for click abuse. Still, I feel safer knowing that it uses IE browsers *pats Firefox* :p

The biggest problem with trying to crack down on any malware is that the average person is oblivious to all of this and no amount of education will cure this, as you'll always have the idiots, the lazy, the arrogant, technophobes, the inept, etc who will be targeted. However, look at blackhat SEOers; the minute one method of scamming the SEs get shutdown they find another. Same for these malware guys and for hackers, they will always find a way in.

[clickz]

I must admit I am very suspicious about click fraud myself!! I cannot understand how I can get over 100 clicks on a branded term for one of my clients on google and get almost no conversions! These are people who were specifically searching for that brand. When I brought up this issue with the Google Adwords team, they tried to convince me that the visitors may still convert at a later stage. But I don't buy it! I mean, at the least the brand name should have a 40% conversion rate!!!

[Blazingpie]

I must admit I am very suspicious about click fraud myself!! I cannot understand how I can get over 100 clicks on a branded term for one of my clients on google and get almost no conversions! These are people who were specifically searching for that brand. When I brought up this issue with the Google Adwords team, they tried to convince me that the visitors may still convert at a later stage. But I don't buy it! I mean, at the least the brand name should have a 40% conversion rate!!!

are you sure it wasn't on-page factors that caused them to be turned away? I mean, it could be something as subtle (and albeit kinda weird)like the colours not putting them in the 'buying' mood, or the site layout not lending one towards completing the sale. I mean, getting people to an e-comm is only half the battle, the other is trying to convert that traffic to sales

[Paz]

<snip> I mean, getting people to an e-comm is only half the battle, the other is trying to convert that traffic to sales

haha that reminds me of a guy in another forum who was getting traffic but no conversions and asked people what they thought of his site.

It turns out the submission form wasn't working... haha

A newbie spotted that one - I missed it..... :shhh:

Cheers,
Paz.

[Blazingpie]

haha that reminds me of a guy in another forum who was getting traffic but no conversions and asked people what they thought of his site.

It turns out the submission form wasn't working... haha

A newbie spotted that one - I missed it..... :shhh:

Cheers,
Paz.

lol, its always the obvious things that us 'experienced' ones miss :p </offtopic>