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AI-driven CTV fraud schemes surge 140 per cent globally, finds DoubleVerify study
New report warns streaming ad fraud is evolving fast across global markets
NEW DELHI: DoubleVerify has flagged a sharp rise in AI-driven connected TV fraud, with new research revealing a 140 per cent jump in CTV fraud schemes and variants globally during the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
The findings come from the company’s latest Must-CTV: Streaming’s Shift from Promise to Performance, part of its broader 2026 Global Insights Report series. The study is based on billions of ad impressions tracked through DV-protected campaigns, alongside controlled tests without protection measures. It also includes surveys covering more than 2,000 marketers and 22,000 consumers across over 20 international markets.
According to the report, fraudsters are increasingly using artificial intelligence to create more sophisticated and scalable operations within the connected TV ecosystem, an area attracting growing advertising investments worldwide.
Speaking about the findings, DoubleVerify vice president fraud lab Gilit Saporta said, “CTV is attracting premium spend and bad actors right along with it. Our research shows fraudsters are quick to exploit inefficiencies in the ecosystem, using AI and limited transparency to siphon value from advertisers.”
The report found more than 50 distinct CTV bot attacks and variants were identified in 2025 alone, while the number of fraudulent connected TV applications detected grew tenfold compared to 2024.
Financially, the impact is significant. DoubleVerify estimates that unprotected campaigns could lose around $1.8 million per billion CTV impressions served, highlighting how quickly costs can escalate at scale.
The nature of fraud also varies by region. In North America, bot fraud accounted for 82 per cent of violations, while data centre fraud dominated in APAC, EMEA and LATAM markets. The study suggests fraud networks are adapting tactics according to regional market conditions and platform vulnerabilities.
Importantly, the research challenges the common belief that direct deals or private marketplace buys automatically offer safer inventory. In one healthcare-focused campaign studied by DV, 34 per cent of impressions were linked to bots, while a major consumer goods campaign recorded 25 per cent bot traffic despite being direct buys.
DoubleVerify vice president fraud lab Gilit Saporta added, “There’s a perception that direct deals in CTV are fraud-free, but that’s not the case as fraud always finds a way. Without independent verification and proactive protections, advertisers risk paying premium prices for impressions that deliver no real value.”
The report also highlighted a stark contrast between protected and unprotected advertising environments. Fraud rates in DV-protected CTV campaigns remained below 1 per cent, compared with nearly 9 per cent in unprotected campaigns.
Despite the risks, fewer than a quarter of advertisers currently use fraud detection or invalid traffic metrics as key performance indicators for CTV campaigns, according to the research.
Earlier this year, DoubleVerify launched DV Authentic Streaming TV, a verification and optimisation solution aimed at helping advertisers identify low-quality inventory and improve campaign performance across streaming platforms.
As streaming television continues to attract bigger ad budgets, the report suggests the industry’s next challenge may not just be reaching viewers, but ensuring those viewers are actually real.
