--- title: The Latest News on AdWords Click Fraud | CommonMind description: Read about the latest developments in the battle against click fraud in AdWords. --- [![Group 139 (1)](https://www.commonmind.com/hubfs/Group%20139%20(1).svg "Group 139 (1)")](https://commonmind.com) [![CommonMind Logo](https://www.commonmind.com/hubfs/CommonMind%20Logo.svg "CommonMind Logo")](https://www.commonmind.com/) - [Solution](https://www.commonmind.com/solution) - [Results](https://www.commonmind.com/results) - [Pricing](https://www.commonmind.com/pricing) - [Authority Blueprint](https://www.commonmind.com/pricing/ai-authority-blueprint) - [Growth Programs](https://www.commonmind.com/pricing/growth-programs) - [AI Visibility Snapshot](https://www.commonmind.com/ai-visibility-snapshot) - [Learning Center](https://www.commonmind.com/learning-center) - [About](https://www.commonmind.com/about) - [Meet the Team](https://www.commonmind.com/about/team) - [Contact Us](https://www.commonmind.com/contact) More results En - [English](https://www.commonmind.com/blog/ppc/latest-news-adwords-click-fraud#) - [Español](https://www.commonmind.com/es/blog) [ Book a discovery call ](https://www.commonmind.com/contact) [ Book a discovery call ](https://www.commonmind.com/contact/book-discovery-call) - [ Solution ](https://www.commonmind.com/solution) - [ Results ](https://www.commonmind.com/results) - [ Pricing ](https://www.commonmind.com/pricing) - [ Authority Blueprint ](https://www.commonmind.com/pricing/ai-authority-blueprint) - [ Growth Programs ](https://www.commonmind.com/pricing/growth-programs) - [ AI Visibility Snapshot ](https://www.commonmind.com/ai-visibility-snapshot) - [ Learning Center ](https://www.commonmind.com/learning-center) - [ About ](https://www.commonmind.com/about) - [ Meet the Team ](https://www.commonmind.com/about/team) - [ Contact Us ](https://www.commonmind.com/contact) [ Book a discovery call ](https://www.commonmind.com/contact/book-discovery-call) [PPC](https://www.commonmind.com/blog/tag/ppc) # The Latest News on AdWords Click Fraud by [Matthew Forrest](https://www.commonmind.com/blog/author/matthew-forrest) 1 min read May 28, 2019   Click fraud is when a person or computer program clicks an ad (often multiple times) with the intent of charging the advertiser (usually a competitor to the person or organization committing the fraud). Two articles on AdWords click fraud caught my attention this week. The first article, [Hackers Helping Businesses Commit Click Fraud on Competitors’ AdWords,](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2461452,00.asp) talks about companies sometimes hiring hackers to use a myriad of programs to click their competitor’s ads so many times that they max out their daily budget before the start of the business day, taking them down for the day. The second article, [Google AdWords Says You Can Be Charged For Invalid Clicks When…](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-adwords-invalid-clicks-possilbe-18962.html), reveals a commonly deployed defense, banning IP addresses, may be less effective than imagined. Banning an IP address does not mean that you can prevent users from that IP from clicking on your ads: - *1. “There are cases where a search is made with IP ‘A’ (which was not excluded) and then the click is made with IP ‘B’, which is excluded, but Google has no control over it.* - *2. You are charged [based] upon these clicks unless we detect these clicks as fraudulent. The fact that you have blocked an IP and that a click is made with this IP is irrelevant because the search that led to this click is done with a different IP.”* The article explains that this situation is likely a rarity, but it makes you think if IP exclusions are not foolproof, how can we protect our AdWords accounts from such attacks?     #### Share this [Share on X ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://www.commonmind.com/blog/ppc/latest-news-adwords-click-fraud&text=The+Latest+News+on+AdWords+Click+Fraud+%7C+CommonMind) [Share on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.commonmind.com/blog/ppc/latest-news-adwords-click-fraud&t=The+Latest+News+on+AdWords+Click+Fraud+%7C+CommonMind) [Share on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.commonmind.com/blog/ppc/latest-news-adwords-click-fraud&t=The+Latest+News+on+AdWords+Click+Fraud+%7C+CommonMind) Previous story [← The importance of Mobile Web Performance](https://www.commonmind.com/blog/importance-of-mobile-web-performance) Next story [Shopping Campaign Now Available on Search Partner Sites →](https://www.commonmind.com/blog/ppc/shopping-campaign-ads-on-search-partner-sites) ### You May Also Like These Related Stories [Larry Kim Gives AdWords CTR Advice. 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