logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
18m 45s

Online advertising fraud

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The global online ad racket; Ed Butler investigates how criminals are ripping off advertising firms to the tune of billions every year.

Andrew Lissimore the CEO of a Canadian company that sells high-end headphones tells us what happened when he hired an ad-tech firm to organise targeted advertising for his website.

Ad fraud expert, Augustine Fou explains that the problems with digital advertising really began about a decade ago, when advertisers stopped selling their ads directly to publishing websites and used ad exchanges instead. We also hear from a former hacker who now advises companies on how to keep hackers and fraudsters at bay.

Presenter / producer: Ed Butler Image: Online business marketing; Credit: Getty

Up next
Yesterday
The impact of 'thirsty' data centres
We're in the US state of Georgia, where huge data centres need water to keep cool. But how is this need for cloud storage and AI capability affecting local residents and the environment?Presenter: Michelle Fleury Producer: Nathalie Jimenez(Image: Georgia resident Beverly Morris l ... Show More
17m 50s
Jul 8
Does university still get you a well-paid job?
Graduates are facing one of the toughest jobs markets in decades. We hear from students in India, the US and UK about whether they feel a university or college degree is worth it as we discuss the cost of attending university around the world and what your job prospects might be ... Show More
17m 27s
Jul 7
Returning to Ukraine?
The UN estimates that nearly seven million Ukrainians have left their home country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Many have set up businesses in their new country - around 90,000 of those in Poland. We hear about the challenges they’ve faced, and the sectors ... Show More
17m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
Tim Hwang, "Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet" (FSG Originals, 2020)
In Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet (FSG Originals, 2020), Tim Hwang investigates the way big tech financializes attention. In the process, he shows us how digital advertising--the beating heart of the internet--is at risk of c ... Show More
49m 39s
Jul 2018
Advertising
The UK has been a global leader in the Advertising Industry since the end of the last century. But like many businesses it's now facing disruption from technology. Pop up banners on the internet and social influencers are cheaper and more immediate. Evan Davis and guests discuss ... Show More
28m 11s
Dec 2022
125 - How To Create A Viral Billboard Campaign
Matei Psatta is behind some of the most successful billboard advertising in the US and Europe. He shares why Out Of Home marketing is great for brand storytelling.Matei is Co-founder and CEO at Blindspot, the company building the world's first interconnected network of digital in ... Show More
32m 4s
Apr 2024
Is Every Company Now An Adtech Company?
Rio Longacre, Managing Director of Advertising and Marketing Transformation at Slalom, delves into adtech, AI, and the future of marketing. With mounting privacy regulations and the deprecation of third-party cookies, more companies are venturing into the ads business. While it i ... Show More
19m 12s
Aug 2017
122. Aaron Agius helps companies grow revenues through in-bound marketing
Aaron Agius (pronounced A-gius) is one of the world’s leading digital marketers according to Forbes. He is CEO of Louder Online, one of the world’s leading digital agencies with a global reach. Louder Online is an inbound marketing agency, working globally with clients such as Sa ... Show More
31m 53s
Dec 2023
468 Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins (1923) with Jay Abraham
Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins (1923) with Jay Abraham ABOUT THE BOOK: Whether you are considering a career in advertising or trying to find the best way to market your product, start with Claude Hopkins (1866-1932) and then move on to the rest. In this interview, legen ... Show More
45m 15s
Aug 2021
The Troubling Future of Advertising
It's no secret that the ad industry is huge. Advertisers spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year attempting to convince people they should buy a given product or service -- and these same forces also work around the clock to leverage the latest in neuroscience and tech to ... Show More
1h 4m
Apr 2023
The High Stakes Game of Google Paid Ads and Online Marketing with Nick Erickson of Angel Reyes and Associates Law Firm
Discover the high stakes of Google paid ads and online marketing for personal injury attorneys. Learn about the challenges of prequalifying potential clients and creating effective landing pages. Nick is the CMO of a top law firm in Dallas, TX and shares insights, tips and a tric ... Show More
1h 31m