--- title: "Ad fraud trends: Digital advertising (2019)" description: What are the latest ad fraud trends and invalid traffic (IVT) rates in programmatic advertising? Pixalate examines the latest data to give you the most up-to-date insight on ad fraud trends in digital advertising. image: https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/ad-fraud-trends-invalid-traffic-ivt-digital-programmatic-advertising.png --- [![pixalate-full-logo](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pixalate_Logos/pixalate-full-logo.jpg?width=150&height=60&name=pixalate-full-logo.jpg "pixalate-full-logo")](https://www.pixalate.com) Search **Menu** ** ** ![](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/ad-fraud-trends-invalid-traffic-ivt-digital-programmatic-advertising.png) [Research Reports](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/topic/research-reports) | 2 min read # Ad fraud trends: Digital advertising (2019) Written by [Tyler Loechner](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/author/tyler-loechner) Apr 8, 2019 11:00:00 AM What are the latest ad fraud trends and invalid traffic (IVT) rates in programmatic advertising? Pixalate examines the latest data to give you the most up-to-date insight on ad fraud trends in digital advertising. Download the most recent Ad Fraud Trends report for the full scoop on the current state of IVT and ad fraud in programmatic digital advertising.  [![Download the Report](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2364596/537aa311-79ac-48f5-b387-3e6d98ecdfd8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2364596/537aa311-79ac-48f5-b387-3e6d98ecdfd8) ### **Ad fraud trends: Global programmatic invalid traffic (IVT) rates (Q4 2018)** According to the latest ad fraud data, invalid traffic is on the rise even as advertisers become [more aware](https://www.emarketer.com/content/digital-ad-fraud-2019) of the tactics used by fraudsters. ![ad-fraud-trends-invalid-traffic-ivt-by-country-q4-2018](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/ad-fraud-invalid-traffic-ivt-by-country-q4-2018.png?width=600&name=ad-fraud-invalid-traffic-ivt-by-country-q4-2018.png) - The U.S. had an IVT rate of 21% in Q4, up from 17% in Q3 - This was the fifth-highest IVT rate in the world - 10 of the top 15 countries in terms of programmatic ad volume saw an increase in IVT in Q4 - U.S., Australia, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Korea, and India ### **Ad fraud trends: Programmatic display advertising (Q4 2018)** Smartphone in-app ad fraud has the highest invalid traffic rate, at over 20%. See the latest [mobile ad fraud trends](https://www.pixalate.com/mobile-ad-fraud-trends-programmatic-digital-advertising) for more. ![ad-fraud-trends-invalid-traffic-ivt-display-advertising-q4-2018](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/ad-fraud-invalid-traffic-ivt-display-advertising-q4-2018.png?width=600&name=ad-fraud-invalid-traffic-ivt-display-advertising-q4-2018.png) - Over one-in-five (20.4%) smartphone in-app display ads were invalid in Q4 2018 - Tablet app had a 16.5% ad fraud rate - Desktop web (19.3%) had the second-highest display IVT rate in Q4 - This was an increase from 16.1% in Q3 ### **Ad fraud trends: Programmatic video advertising (Q4 2018)** When it comes to programmatic video ad fraud trends, mobile in-app is the riskiest. See the [mobile app fraud](https://www.pixalate.com/mobile-app-fraud-trends-invalid-traffic-ivt) trends for details on the riskiest app categories.  ![ad-fraud-trends-invalid-traffic-ivt-video-advertising-q4-2018](https://www.pixalate.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Media/Blog%20photos/ad-fraud-invalid-traffic-ivt-video-advertising-q4-2018.png?width=600&name=ad-fraud-invalid-traffic-ivt-video-advertising-q4-2018.png) - Smartphone in-app video (29.6%) and tablet in-app video (23.7%) had the highest programmatic video IVT rates in Q4 - In contrast, smartphone web (12.1%) and tablet web (9.8%) had significantly lower IVT rates Download the latest Ad Fraud Trends report for more information: [![Download the Report](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2364596/537aa311-79ac-48f5-b387-3e6d98ecdfd8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2364596/537aa311-79ac-48f5-b387-3e6d98ecdfd8) **Still looking or more information about ad fraud?** For a high-level view of IVT in mobile advertising, view our [mobile ad fraud trends](https://www.pixalate.com/mobile-ad-fraud-trends-programmatic-digital-advertising). For a more granular view of IVT in mobile advertising, view our [mobile app fraud](https://www.pixalate.com/mobile-app-fraud-trends-invalid-traffic-ivt) trends. ### Search Blog Search ### Follow Pixalate ### Subscribe to our blog *By entering your email address and clicking Subscribe, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use ](https://www.pixalate.com/terms)and [Privacy Policy.](https://www.pixalate.com/privacypolicy) Previous Story [← Pixalate Week in Review: April 1 - 5, 2019](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/programmatic-ad-fraud-news-week-in-review-april-5-2019) [** ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog) Next Story [WebEye partners with Pixalate to reduce mobile in-app ad fraud →](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/webeye-partnership-reduce-mobile-app-ad-fraud) ## You May Also Like These Stories on Research Reports [![](https://www.pixalate.com/hubfs/TOP%20100%20CONNECTED%20TV%20(CTV)%20BUNDLE%20IDs%20MAY%202026.jpg) ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/top-100-connected-tv-ctv-bundle-ids-in-may-2026) [CTV](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/topic/ctv) ### [Pixalate Releases Top 100 Connected TV (CTV) Bundle ID Rankings For Global Ad Spend in May 2026; 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Any proprietary data shared is grounded in Pixalate’s proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate’s opinions are just that - opinion, not facts or guarantees. Per the MRC, “'Fraud' is not intended to represent fraud as defined in various laws, statutes and ordinances or as conventionally used in U.S. Court or other legal proceedings, but rather a custom definition strictly for advertising measurement purposes. Also per the MRC, “‘Invalid Traffic’ is defined generally as traffic that does not meet certain ad serving quality or completeness criteria, or otherwise does not represent legitimate ad traffic that should be included in measurement counts. 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