Avoid bad leads with Anura’s fraud solution.

Lead generation fraud refers to the creation and sale of fictitious or unqualified leads under the guise of legitimate leads typically using bots, malware, or human fraud farms. It involves deceptive practices that negatively affect both businesses and consumers.

There are many ways that your advertising could be affected by those seeking to commit fraud. So what are some of the most common types of fraudulent activity to keep an eye out for?

When it comes to lead generation fraud, fraudsters can use stolen personal data to fill out forms. Another tactic is to purchase aged leads and recycle them as new leads.

Bot traffic is another way fraudsters attack the lead generation process of companies. These small pieces of computer software crawl the internet to find forms on landing pages that can be filled out to create fraudulent leads. These programs then use stolen information, aged lead data, or completely fake data that looks real to fill out the form and submit it as a real visitor would.

Finding the right ad fraud solution for your lead generation campaign starts with a focus on data. Anura provides a solution that empowers marketers with a user-friendly experience that works. By analyzing the visitor data of your traffic and lead sources, you'll be able to identify fraud in real time so you can deal with it in real-time. You’ll know if the lead is fraudulent before the visitor even finishes filling the form out.

We offer a detailed analytics dashboard with the ability to drill down and pinpoint exactly where fraud originates. Contact us to get started today.

Businesses that are heavily dependent on online marketing campaigns and advertising strategies are the most susceptible to lead generation fraud. This typically includes industries like finance, insurance, real estate, and education, which rely heavily on lead generation for customer acquisition.

There are numerous negative consequences of lead generation fraud. Brand reputation damage is a serious consequence, but there are rippling financial effects as well. From the lead generation company to the businesses buying leads to the sales team that's calling the leads, many layers of people are negatively impacted by lead fraud. Here are the four main ways this type of ad fraud hurts companies.

Brand reputation

If a lot of people are being called who never asked to be contacted by your company, your brand reputation suffers. These people will ask themselves where and how you’re getting their contact information, damaging the image of your company.

Lower contact rates that waste call center resources

Fraudulent lead information can also cause your contact rates to take a dive. When people aren’t expecting a call about your services, they either don’t answer or take a long time to respond. Once your salespeople finally hear back, it’s a no. This wastes precious call center resources that could be spent on leads that convert.

Wasted marketing resources from a higher cost per lead

Lower conversion rates are another consequence of lead generation fraud. If you've noticed a sudden decline in your conversion rates, you might want to look into whether or not fraud is the root cause. Lead generation fraud increases your cost per lead and ultimately your cost per acquisition because your percentage of leads that don’t convert goes up. This wastes your marketing resources.

Being fined for TCPA Violations

Another major consequence of lead generation fraud is being hit with TCPA violations and potential fines. People take the Do Not Call list very seriously, creating a high potential for your company getting in trouble when the leads you call never provided their information. This is a leading reason why blocking leads filled with stolen personal information is so important.

Fraudulent leads can be identified through several means such as inconsistencies in the information provided, data that matches known fraudulent data points, or behaviors that indicate non-human interactions (like rapid-fire form completions). Also, if the person on the lead claims they didn’t fill out the form or they are hard to reach, is another way to identify possible fraudulent leads.

Our software integrates as easy as deploying a JavaScript tag on your site. This can be done in minutes using Google Tag Manager without the need for development resources. While our software is very flexible, more intricate integrations would require some minor development resources.

Lead fraud is a significant problem. On average, 1 in every 4 leads is fraudulent. It not only wastes marketing resources, it also wastes call center resources, generates brand reputation issues and creates TCPA violations.

Lead generation fraud occurs when bad actors use bots or human fraud farms to visit a landing page uses invalid, fake, stolen or aged information to fill out a form with the intent of making money directly or indirectly.

Common signs of lead generation fraud is when the person is either unreachable, or denies completing a form. Additionally, inconsistencies in the provided information, instances of stolen or outdated lead data, as well as entirely fabricated data are other frequent signs of potential fraud.

Lead generation fraud can impact businesses in several ways: it wastes marketing resources, tarnishes brand reputation, wastes call center resources, creates TCPA violations, and destroys employee morale.

Participating in lead generation fraud has significant consequences for individuals and businesses. It can result in lower ROI for marketing campaigns, increased TCPA risks, wasted staff resources, and damage to brand reputation. Generating fraudulent leads not only wastes valuable resources but also puts businesses at legal and regulatory risk. Moreover, it erodes customer trust, leading to a decline in customer acquisition and damaging industry relationships. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize ethical lead generation methods and use the available technologies to reduce lead generation fraud to avoid these consequences and maintain a positive brand image.

The most proactive way to detect and prevent lead generation fraud is to use a Media Rating Council (MRC) or Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) Certified, performance-based ad fraud solution using a Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT) filter.

If you suspect lead generation fraud, there are a few steps you can take. First, consider signing up with a performance-based ad fraud solution, like Anura, that is certified by organizations like the Media Rating Council (MRC) or the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG). These certifications ensure that the solution adheres to industry standards and best practices. Next, run a test with one of these solutions to confirm your suspicion. If your suspicions are confirmed, it is crucial to deploy a fraud solution that can help eliminate these types of leads in the future. This will help protect your business from wasting resources on fake or low-quality leads and maintain the integrity of your lead generation efforts.

Technology plays a crucial role in identifying and preventing lead generation fraud by enabling proactive measures to detect and mitigate potential issues before they occur. Using advanced algorithms, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, technology, like Anura, can analyze various data points and patterns to identify suspicious behaviors and red flags that will indicate fraudulent activity. By implementing robust fraud detection systems, businesses can automatically screen and filter visitors before allowing them to fill in their forms. This proactive approach minimizes the risk of issues that may arise after a form is filled out and submitted, such as fraudulent information, invalid leads, or malicious intent, thereby safeguarding businesses and optimizing the efficiency of lead generation processes.

Finding the right ad fraud solution for your lead generation campaigns starts with a focus on data. Anura provides a solution that empowers marketers with a user-friendly experience that works. By analyzing the visitor data of your traffic and lead sources, you'll be able to identify fraud in real time so you can deal with it in real-time. You’ll know if the lead is fraudulent before the visitor starts filling the form out.

To educate your team or employees about lead generation fraud prevention, it is important to create awareness about the potential risks and provide them with effective strategies and tools. Start by emphasizing the significance of lead generation fraud and its impact on the business. Explain how fraudsters may generate leads through deceptive means, such as falsifying information or using advanced bots and human fraud farms. Teach your team to verify leads by implementing a process where they ask callers if they recently filled out a form and check the timing. If a lead was not generated on the same day, it indicates potential fraud or recycling aged leads. Introduce them to solutions like Anura, which can help detect and prevent fraudulent leads. Train your team on how to use such tools effectively, ensuring they understand the signs of fraudulent activities and how to report and handle them appropriately. By equipping your team with knowledge and tools, you can significantly reduce the occurrence of lead generation fraud.

One great resource you can use for training is our Lead Generation Fraud 101.

Several years ago, the Media Rating Council (MRC) set industry standards for fraud detection companies and continues to update those standards each quarter. Both MRC and Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) can certify that a given fraud solution is following those standards through third-party audits.

Absolutely! Anura has a wide range of case studies specifically focused on lead generation companies, showcasing our unrivaled accuracy, thoroughness, and advanced analytics. You can explore our comprehensive collection of case studies here to see how Anura has revolutionized lead generation strategies and generated exceptional results for our clients.

We offer a range of resources for raising awareness about lead generation fraud, including our weekly blog, eBooks, Whitepapers, and monthly webinars. Other organizations, such as the MRC and TAG, also provide valuable resources.