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FBI and Google dismantle multi-million dollar ad fraud scheme
A massive ad-fraud operation that hijacked nearly two million devices and involved 5,000 counterfeit websites has been dismantled by the FBI, Google and bot-detection firm White Ops. The eight men involved in the scheme are facing charges -- three have been arrested and five remain at large.
Large-scale ad fraud ring is stealing millions of dollars a day
Security firm White Ops says it has discovered an ad fraud scheme raking in up to $3 million per day, making it the largest such operation ever. Called Methbot, because of drug references in the code, it tricks ad networks into playing videos on fake websites, which are in turn "watched" by bots that simulate real users. The networks then pay the scammers, reportedly located in Russia, effectively flushing advertisers' and publishers' money down the toilet.
