The rise of link fraud on major online platforms such as Google, Bing, and Twitter is eroding trust among users. Advertisers are exploiting unverified ‘vanity URLs’ to deceive users and perpetrate fraud, with platforms deflecting blame. Vanity URLs and link fraud are common tactics used to deceive users into clicking on harmful links. Examples of preventable link fraud include hijacking ecommerce and software downloads. Google, Microsoft, and Twitter have all been implicated in enabling link fraud. The adtech industry plays the victim while profiting from these deceptive practices. The FBI recommends installing ad blockers due to the prevalence of malvertising. Adtech companies must be held accountable for allowing link fraud to thrive.
https://eligrey.com/blog/link-fraud/