Consumers See Fake Ads 25% of The Time

On an average day, between 15-25% of all online sessions include "unauthorized" ads. That percent increases to almost one third during the holidays.

Unauthorized ads are malware driven pop-ups, banners, or product ads that are designed to look as if they are part of the base site. The vast majority redirect shoppers to competitive products and websites.

Malvertising, as it is sometimes called, is more likely to be seen on a desktop or laptop than a mobile. However, as mobile shopping grows, the gap is closing. Within websites, unauthorized ads most often show up on product pages, followed by checkout pages and search results.

Fake ads are equally prevalent across product categories.

The most active online shoppers tend to see more malvertising, because they often have downloaded a wider range of browser extensions, increasing their chance of infection.

Experts estimate that websites lose between 2 and 5% of annual revenue due to unauthorized ads that hijack their customers. Reinforcing the trend’s significance, Amazon filed a lawsuit earlier this year to unmask the companies behind malvertising that has plagued its brand.

Sources: Fast Company 2018, Media Post 2018, Namogoo 2918