AppsFlyer: Mobile app and game fraud has dropped 30% to $1.6 billion since 2019

AppsFlyer said mobile app and game fraud was $1.6 billion in the first six months of 2020, down 30% from a year ago, based on its latest research. But while the drop is good for the mobile industry, the numbers show serious money is still at risk.

As the pandemic stretches on and people continue to turn to apps for daily tasks and entertainment, advertisers must remain one step ahead of conditions that might cause fraud to rise again, the company said. The San Francisco-based mobile marketing firm said the global financial exposure to app and game fraud is down, due to greater awareness among publishers and developers, as well as better methods for protecting against app-install fraud. But forms of fraud dubbed post-attribution — installs that cannot be blocked in real time — and in-app fraud are a growing problem. In its State of Mobile Ad Fraud 2020 Edition, the company said most mobile advertisers are increasingly aware of the dangers of app install fraud but cautioned that fraud isn’t going away anytime soon.