The first half of 2026 highlighted a major shift in the digital advertising fraud landscape: fraudulent traffic exceeded 50% and remained above this level every month.
According to the FraudScore Mid-Year Report 2026, 54.3% of all analyzed ad traffic during the first half of the year showed signs of fraud – compared to 39.7% during the same period in 2025.
However, the overall percentage is only part of the story. Throughout the first half of 2026, fraudulent traffic consistently remained above the 50% mark.
Above 50% every month
Ad fraud rates typically fluctuate month to month, influenced by seasonality, changes in advertising channels, and the activity of fraudulent networks.
In the first half of 2026, the rate remained consistently high. From January through June, it never dropped below 50%: January started at 56.9%, the lowest level was recorded in May at 50.6%, and the rate increased again to 55.1% in June.
Instead of isolated spikes, the market faced a sustained high level of fraudulent traffic.
Regional patterns continue to shift
Fraud levels continue to vary across regions. South America recorded the highest level of fraudulent traffic in H1 2026, while EU markets also remained among the regions most affected by fraud.
At the same time, China saw a notable year-over-year decrease in fraudulent traffic. This highlights how fraud patterns continue to adapt alongside changes in the advertising market and user acquisition strategies.
Mobile remains a key risk area
One trend remains consistent: mobile continues to be one of the most significant areas affected by fraudulent activity.
At the same time, web traffic showed a slight improvement compared to the previous year. As mobile advertising budgets continue to grow, this segment remains an important target for fraud schemes.
What this means for the industry
Ad fraud is not only a budget issue. Fraudulent traffic affects campaign optimization, attribution accuracy, and analytics quality – ultimately influencing the decisions marketing teams make.
As traffic quality becomes increasingly difficult to evaluate, transparency and independent verification are becoming important for all participants in the advertising ecosystem.
👉 Download the full FraudScore Mid-Year Ad Fraud Report 2026
