Ad fraud driven by bots that automatically click on ads with rotating IP addresses are one of the most common – and hard to prevent – ways in which web ads for desktop and mobile audiences are scammed. These ads generally have a payout of a certain dollar amount for every human click, but it has gotten increasingly difficult to separate real users from computers in recent years. To combat this growing economic threat ComScore, a company that analyzes audience reach for web and mobile platforms, has made the decision to purchase MdotLabs.

MdotLabs provides the resources and trained personnel to monitor non-human traffic, which includes bots, click farms and everything in between. These methods are generally the source of fraudulent clicks that significantly impact advertiser costs, and sometimes account for more than 50 percent of a digital ad campaign's web traffic. Because this drives up ad costs without actually delivering potential customers, it is a very serious problem that needs a solution sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, ComScore's purchase of the company would combine the resources of both groups and help to eradicate non-human traffic. Through the use of complex algorithms, signal processing, and machine learning, ComScore will be able to utilize MdotLab's services to wipe out the issue.

While ComScore has not disclosed the terms of the deal, they have stated that MdotLab's management team would be joining the company, which provides valuable experience. The company also announced that MdotLabs' resources, including the flagship AdSecure platform, would be integrated into the company's Media Metrix and Campaign Essential Suites. This means that existing customers can expect an upgrade to the systems they already use that will help identify and eliminate fraudulent web traffic.