Mobile ad fraud is on the rise and is estimated to have doubled since last year. Juniper Research has estimated that advertisers will lose some $19 billion to fraudulent advertising activities on online and mobile devices in 2018. The issue of app install fraud is a growing concern, particularly in the GCC.

Therefore, Omnicom Media Group MENA has formed a strategic partnership with ad fraud prevention specialists TrafficGuard. The partnership will give the group’s agencies – OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science – exclusive access to TrafficGuard’s ad fraud mitigation solution for six months making it the first agency in the region to partner with the ad fraud company.

The group was one of the early partners of MOAT and in 2017 moved to a whitelist only approach that is regularly vetted by its inventory team.

When brands promote their apps on different sites and platforms, including ad networks, and buy these insertions on a cost-per-install (CPI) basis, they can be exposed to multiple fraud types, including SDK spoofing, click injection and faked installs. TrafficGuard safeguards installs in real-time, blocking invalid traffic, and provides consistent attribution reporting to clients and supply partners. This allows brands to only pay for qualified installs and enhance the success of their mobile acquisition campaigns.

“Fraud doesn’t just waste media budgets at the top level, it also limits the speed at which ad networks and supply partners can optimize, restricting overall advertising performance and ultimately diminishing ROI,” explains Mathew Ratty, CEO of TrafficGuard’s parent company, Tech Mpire, in a statement. “Proactively blocking fraud keeps ad dollars out of the pockets of the bad actors and provides clean data, helping supply partners to optimize their performance. By partnering with TrafficGuard, Omnicom Media Group MENA is demonstrating its commitment to delivering superior performance to both its clients and supply partners.”

“What has made digital advertising so appealing to brands is the ability to measure the performance of investments and their contribution to the bottom line, relying on models like pay-per-install. The issue is that fraudsters have also been very active in this space and in this region, which has made protection measures an essential first step,” adds Christos Solomi, Executive Director – Programmatic at Omnicom Media Group MENA. “Our partnership with TrafficGuard is the latest in a series of initiatives we’ve taken to create a safe and effective environment for our clients’ brands and investments.”