CTV fraud continues to boom, according to a new report from DoubleVerify.
On Tuesday, the company revealed the existence of “ShadowBot,” a fraudulent bot scheme that generated over 35 million spoofed mobile devices in Q1 2025 alone. According to DV, unprotected advertisers were hit hard, with the scheme siphoning off $2.5 million since the start of the year—not just from advertisers, but also from legitimate CTV publishers and platforms.
The scheme targeted both mobile and CTV environments using what DV described as fairly “rudimentary automation techniques,” including mobile emulators (software that simulates a mobile device on a computer to mimic user activity) and spoofed app IDs (fake or misrepresented IDs that trick systems into thinking ads are running in real, high-quality apps).
Because of these amateur-level errors, DV says the fraud was pretty easy to spot.
“ShadowBot shows that fraud doesn’t need to be sophisticated to be costly,” said Gilit Saporta, who heads DV’s Fraud Lab. “It’s alarming to see $2.5M lost to bots using resolutions of an old CRT screen we all used back in the 1990s. The fraud scheme operator didn’t even bother to match its fake device signals to a proper mobile device.”
DV flagged five telltale signs behind the ShadowBot scheme: outdated emulator screen resolutions, unusually high impression volumes, shady proxy IPs, identical behavior across spoofed devices, and impossible engagement patterns—like 10 fake app opens in 9 minutes.
Why This Matters:
CTV ad spending is surging. According to EMARKETER, it will reach well over $33 billion this year, rising 16% year over year. The fact that rudimentary fraud has already cost advertisers millions in just six months, however, could give media buyers pause, especially those unsure if their campaigns were protected.
It’s also notable timing: this announcement comes on the heels of Cannes, where CTV was front and center. As the channel becomes more accessible to mid-market and SMB advertisers, fraudsters are likely to follow the money—particularly targeting newer buyers who may be less familiar with fraud prevention or how to buy quality inventory.
Experts React:
In May, DV released a CTV report revealing that only 50% of CTV impressions in 2024 offer full app transparency, creating major blind spots for marketers. The report also found that bot fraud accounts for roughly two-thirds (65%) of all CTV fraud.
“A lack of transparency, an increase in rogue behavior, and the lack of industry operational standards create an environment in which media waste is becoming a growing issue,” said Mark Zagorski, CEO of DV, in that report.
Our Take:
Fraud isn’t going anywhere. There’s an ongoing tension in the market: some argue you can avoid most fraud by sticking to a curated group of trusted publishers. But there’s growing recognition that more niche, verticalized CTV environments offer powerful targeting opportunities.
The challenge? Balancing quality and reach. Brands want to find in-market, leaned-in audiences—which are often “hiding” in long-tail apps and channels. But those same environments can be more susceptible to fraud. It’s a debate worth continuing as advertisers expand beyond the obvious channels.
AdTechRadar is owned by Chris Harihar, who leads PR at Mod Op. DoubleVerify is a Mod Op client.
