What are fake installs?
What are fake installs?
A fake install is a mobile ad fraud tactic. It’s accomplished by fraudsters who use device emulation software in virtualized environments (on server hardware) to fake installs.
These installs are created to trigger attribution but don’t reflect real user behavior. They are often generated using bots, emulators, or server-side scripts that replicate install signals.
Unlike click spam, which misattributes real installs, fake installs simulate the entire install path, from ad click to post-install event.
How fake installs work
Fake installs are generated using methods that create install signals without real user activity. Some techniques are designed to directly simulate installs, while others may result in fake or misattributed attribution events depending on implementation.
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- Device emulation uses virtual devices to click ads, install apps, and trigger attribution. These setups often rotate identifiers and IP addresses to appear legitimate.
- SDK spoofing is a server-side method in which fraudsters send fabricated install or event data directly to attribution platforms. It can be used to simulate installs or post-install engagement.
- Click injection misattributes real installs by injecting a last-second ad click from a background app. The install is real, but the attribution is hijacked.
These fraud methods may pass as valid traffic unless flagged by behavioral anomalies, such as unusual click-to-install timing, low engagement, or traffic originating from anonymous infrastructure.
Why fake installs matter for mobile marketers
Fake installs increase acquisition costs and distort performance data. They inflate install volumes without delivering real users, leading to misallocated budget and skewed attribution. Since fake installs are counted in key metrics like cost per install (CPI) and lifetime value (LTV), they can mislead optimization decisions and mask the true performance of marketing channels.
Fraudulent attribution can also depress performance indicators like average revenue per user (ARPU) or retention, causing teams to underinvest in legitimate campaigns or question effective strategies.
Over time, these distortions reduce confidence in reporting, affect forecasting accuracy, and undermine trust in campaign data across teams.
How to detect and prevent fake installs
Fake installs can be detected by analyzing behavioral and traffic-based anomalies. Red flags include sudden install spikes, installs from anonymous or high-risk IP ranges, or engagement patterns that differ from real users. Unusual click-to-install timing, such as installs with no preceding click, can also signal manipulation.
Prevention relies on real-time validation. Common techniques include IP filtering, behavioral modeling, timestamp-based checks, anomalous engagement patterns, and suspicious device resets. These filters stop suspicious installs before attribution, helping marketers maintain accurate data and protect their budgets.
Fake installs and Adjust
Adjust’s Fraud Prevention Suite identifies and blocks fake installs in real-time by applying detection filters before attribution. Installs are evaluated against multiple signals, including Anonymous IP filtering (to flag VPN and data center traffic), timestamp validation (to detect click injection), SDK Signature checks (to prevent spoofing), and distribution modeling (to catch behavioral outliers like click spamming).
Rejection reasons are shared with partners and networks through instant callbacks, giving marketers clear visibility into fraud exposure and partner performance.
By preventing invalid installs from entering attribution, Adjust helps preserve data accuracy and ensure that reported performance reflects real user activity.
Ready to see how Adjust can help you prevent ad fraud and protect your data? Request a demo today.
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