‘Scallywag’ is a massive ad fraud scheme that uses specifically designed WordPress plugins to produce billions of false requests every day in order to profit from URL shortening and pirating websites.
The bot and fraud detection company HUMAN discovered Scallywag after mapping a network of 407 domains that supported the operation, which at its peak generated 1.4 billion fraudulent ad requests daily.
Scallywag traffic has decreased by 95% as a result of HUMAN’s efforts to ban and report it; nonetheless, the threat actors have demonstrated resiliency by switching domains and monetization strategies.
Because of the legal implications, brand safety issues, ad fraud, and poor content, legitimate ad providers steer clear of URL shortening and pirating websites.
Scallywag is a fraud-as-a-service company that helps fraudsters make money by utilizing four WordPress plugins read more about WordPress ad-fraud plugins generated 1.4 billion ad requests per day.
Get up to date on the latest cybersecurity news and enhance your knowledge of cybersecurity with our thorough coverage of the dangers, breaches, and solutions.