Google has been forced to issue hefty refunds to some online marketers after their ads were placed on fake Web sites. It’s a dilemma for Google, as fake traffic suggests that its ad-buying technology is more vulnerable to fraud than the search giant has previously acknowledged.
Reports say some of the refunds amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The refunds involve ads bought with Google’s automated technology known as DoubleClick Bid Manager. The tool is used by advertisers to place ads across the Internet on Web sites of Google’s ad partners.
Google confirmed the refunds were made for ads placed on partner sites with fake traffic created by bots, or automated software programs that pretend to be legitimate users.
