---
title: Desktop Click Fraud Has Risen From 20% to 25% in 2017
description: So far in 2017, marketers have already seen desktop click fraud rise from 20% to 25%. Pixalate takes a deep dive into desktop display click fraud trends.
---

[Pixalate Blog ](https://www.pixalate.com/blog)

# [Desktop Click Fraud Has Risen From 20% to 25% in 2017](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/desktop-ad-click-fraud-rising-stats-data-2017)

 Written by [Tyler Loechner](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/author/tyler-loechner) | May 31, 2017 2:30:03 PM

Digital marketers have been [trying to escape](http://adage.com/article/media/digital-advertising-ready-ditch-click/295143/) "click-based" metrics for years, but nonetheless, click-through rate (CTR) numbers still show up on campaign reports. But while the ad world debates the merits of click-based metrics as an effective measurement tool, the affect of click fraud is often overlooked. Just how impactful is click fraud in programmatic?

Pixalate is beginning a series of blog posts which will examine click fraud metrics to identify trends, patterns, and key takeaways for the entire industry. Up first: Desktop click fraud rates.

### Desktop click fraud rates increased 21.1% from January-April 2017

Click fraud is a growing problem on desktop devices, across all channels (video, display, web, apps, etc.).

 

- About one-in-five (19.9%) of desktop clicks were fraudulent in January 2017
- That number rose each month throughout Q1 2017, peaking at 27.8% in March
- There was a slight decrease in desktop click fraud from March to April (24.1%)
- Overall, from January-April 2017, desktop click fraud rates increased 20.8% (from about 19.9% to 24.1%)

The digital ad industry started off 2017 with roughly one-in-five (19.9%) desktop clicks proving fraudulent, and already that number has risen to nearly one-in-four (24.1%).

If desktop click fraud continues to grow at this pace, then over one-third of desktop clicks will be fraudulent by the end of 2017.

### Desktop display web click fraud rates have jumped 34.6% since January

Pixalate uncovered a similar trend when examining just desktop display web click fraud rates.

- About one-in-five (19.5%) of desktop display web clicks were fraudulent in January 2017
- That number peaked in March 2017, at 28.3%
- In April 2017, Pixalate measured a 26.2% fraudulent click rate on desktop display web ads
- Overall, from January-April 2017, desktop display web click fraud rates increased 34.6% (from about 19.5% to 26.2%)

Our data indicates that click fraud is not just a problem across desktop display ads — it's a fast-growing problem, particularly for desktop display ads on the web. Marketers have already seen click fraud rise from a one-in-five to a one-in-four problem in the span of just a few months. 

[View full post](https://www.pixalate.com/blog/desktop-ad-click-fraud-rising-stats-data-2017)

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