PPC fraud is frustrating—but you don’t have to tackle it all yourself.
With the right agency and smart platform strategies, you can dramatically reduce fake clicks and recover lost ad spend.
Here’s how to make your marketing partners your first line of defense.
1. Ask Your Agency the Right Questions
When hiring a marketing agency or PPC consultant, make sure fraud prevention is part of their process.
Questions to ask:
- Do you monitor for click fraud or lead spam?
- Do you use tools like ClickCease or Lunio?
- How do you validate lead quality before passing them to sales?
- Do you provide reports that show invalid traffic or lead trends?
An experienced agency should offer:
- Real-time traffic monitoring
- Ad platform optimizations to block bad traffic
- Form protection and CRM hygiene workflows
- Support submitting refund claims to ad platforms
If they shrug it off, look elsewhere.
2. Build Fraud Protection Into Your Scope
Whether you’re outsourcing or managing ads in-house, fraud protection should be part of your scope of work.
- Include fraud detection tools in your ad tech stack.
- Require lead scoring and manual review workflows.
- Set quality benchmarks for leads and traffic.
3. Use Ad Platform Tools and Refund Policies
Each platform handles fraud differently. Here’s what to know:
Google Ads
- Google automatically filters out many invalid clicks.
- You can request a refund for missed fraud via support.
- Watch your “Invalid Clicks” column weekly.
Meta / Facebook Ads
- Meta does not currently offer refunds for fraudulent leads.
- You can report suspected fraud, but reimbursement is rare.
- Use double opt-in forms and verify lead info before triggering workflows.
Microsoft/Bing Ads
- Offers IP exclusions, location targeting, and supports third-party fraud tools.
- Refunds available for verified invalid clicks.
4. Document Everything
If you suspect fraud:
- Save click logs, lead submission details, and timestamps
- Screenshot suspicious patterns (e.g. duplicate leads, same IPs)
- Submit this data to your platform support or agency partner
The more evidence you provide, the better chance you have of getting credit.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Escalate
If fraud continues despite preventative efforts:
- Ask your agency to escalate directly to their platform rep
- Push for additional fraud filters or campaign review
- Consider pausing high-risk campaigns until issues are resolved
Being persistent pays off. Ad platforms have more incentive to improve when advertisers speak up.
You’re not alone in the fight against fake leads.
Work with partners who take fraud seriously, and you’ll keep more of your ad budget focused on what matters—real customers.
This wraps our 8-part series on PPC fraud for small businesses.
iQuarius Media works with small businesses to protect every click, every lead, and every dollar.
