Ad fraud is a persistent drain on marketing budgets. Every year, brands lose tens of billions—and rising—to bots, fake traffic, and fraudulent click sources. This article examines the best current data, reconciles conflicting figures, and provides a clear overview of the global cost of ad fraud.
Estimated Annual Losses from Ad Fraud
2023 Estimates (Reported)
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Juniper Research puts global ad fraud at $84 billion, equal to 22% of digital ad spend (Juniper Research, via BusinessOfApps).
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Statista’s data, cited by WebProNews, rounds the figure to $88 billion in 2023 (WebProNews, 2025).
2024 Projection
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The Nexd blog anticipates ad fraud costs rising to $100 billion by end of 2024, up from $87 billion in 2023 (Ranne, 2024).
Broader Estimates
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The Association of National Advertisers estimates annual ad fraud at $120 billion (Novatiq, 2023).
Scope-Limited Estimate
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Spider Labs estimates $41.4 billion in fraud losses for 2025, likely reflecting a subset of channels or stricter definitions (Spider Labs, 2025).
Key Facts
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Advertisers lost $84 billion to ad fraud in 2023 (Juniper Research).
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Global losses estimated at $88 billion in 2023 (Statista via WebProNews).
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Projected increase to $100 billion by end of 2024 (Nexd).
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Industry-wide estimate reaches $120 billion annually (ANA via Novatiq).
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Forecast shows ad fraud could hit $172 billion by 2028 (Statista via WebProNews).
Trends and Forecasts
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Persistent High Range: Multiple sources converge around $84–$100 billion per year currently.
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Upward Trajectory: A rising trend—$100 billion in 2024, potentially $120 billion+ soon.
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Long-Term Forecast: Unchecked growth could lead to $172 billion lost by 2028 (WebProNews, 2025).
Practical Takeaways for Advertisers
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Quantify risk: Understand that up to 1 in 3 dollars spent digitally may be fraudulent.
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Request transparency: Work with vendors who provide granular fraud analytics.
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Invest in multi-layer controls: Use pre-bid filters, verification (ads.txt, etc.), and audit logs.
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Track trends continuously: Trust evolving data projections to reassess risk annually.
Conclusion
Ad fraud is not a minor nuisance—it’s a financial epidemic. Current estimates place annual losses between $84 billion and $100 billion, with projections reaching $120 billion+ and potentially ballooning to $172 billion by 2028. Brands, agencies, and advertisers must act now—with data-backed solutions and transparency—to protect investment and ROI.
FAQs
Q1: Why do estimates vary so widely?
Different models use different definitions (total spend vs programmatic-only), methodologies (forecast vs reported), and coverage (all channels vs specific).
Q2: Is the $100 billion+ loss only in programmatic?
No. These figures reflect total digital ad spend—programmatic is included, but other channels (social, search, CTV) are also impacted.
Q3: Can ad fraud be fully eliminated?
No. Fraud evolves continuously. However, layered, data-driven mitigation strategies can significantly reduce its impact.
References
Juniper Research. (n.d.). 22% of digital ad spend lost to fraud in 2023 (as cited in BusinessOfApps). Retrieved from https://www.businessofapps.com/ads/ad-fraud/research/ad-fraud-statistics/
Ranne, K. (2024, September 19). Current statistics and trends in ad fraud. Nexd. Retrieved from https://www.nexd.com/blog/ad-fraud-statistics/
WebProNews. (2025, August 6). Digital ad fraud costs $88 B in 2023, projected to reach $172 B by 2028. Retrieved from https://www.webpronews.com/digital-ad-fraud-costs-88b-in-2023-set-to-reach-172b-by-2028/
Novatiq. (2023). Digital ad fraud statistics that every brand should know. Retrieved from https://www.novatiq.com/digital-ad-fraud-statistics-every-brand-know/
Spider Labs. (2025, August 14). Ad fraud trends 2025: Key threats and how to combat them. Retrieved from https://spideraf.com/articles/ad-fraud-trends-2025-key-threats-and-how-to-combat-them
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