CleanTap study exposes systemic CTV ad fraud weaknesses: Spoofed devices easily passed as real smart TVs

A new investigation by CleanTap has revealed how easily counterfeit CTV devices can infiltrate the digital advertising supply chain and receive premium ad placements, despite widespread use of verification systems.

In the “Screens for Screens” report, CleanTap demonstrated that a low-cost Raspberry Pi—paired with dummy HDMI plugs and proxy networks—could mimic legitimate smart TVs and access major ad exchanges. The test device, configured to appear as a “Generic Android TV,” successfully received ads from 54 brands, including several Fortune 100 companies, through programmatic platforms such as The Trade Desk, PubMatic, and FreeWheel.

Over ten days, every spoofed device tested was able to participate in live auctions and render CTV ads. Even when the system flagged obvious bot-like signals or spoofed user agents—some explicitly declaring “I’m a bot”—the ad tech infrastructure still processed and served campaigns.

The findings highlight a significant blind spot in the industry’s fraud prevention systems. While measurement tools from vendors like DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science correctly identified synthetic traffic, the lack of mandatory pre-auction filtration meant ads were delivered anyway.

CleanTap attributes the issue to heavy reliance on self-declared device metadata and fragmented verification processes. Because many streaming apps can operate across diverse hardware—from smart TVs to mobile browsers and emulators—generic classifications like “Generic Smart TV” allow spoofed environments to blend in undetected.

“The current approach assumes honesty in the supply chain,” the report notes. “Verification data can be ignored, leaving advertisers exposed to counterfeit inventory.”

The company urges a shift toward strict pre-auction validation—filtering fraudulent impressions before they enter exchanges—and greater transparency from publishers and platforms.

CleanTap’s researchers argue that, as AI tools and emulator software become more accessible, the barriers to creating synthetic viewing environments have largely disappeared. They warn that counterfeit traffic can now be generated at scale with minimal technical skill or investment, distorting campaign performance data and draining ad budgets.

The study concludes that advertisers should push for higher accountability from demand- and supply-side partners, prioritize direct publisher relationships, and treat unverifiable traffic as suspect until proven legitimate.

CleanTap’s report calls for a collective response across ad tech stakeholders to restore trust and integrity to the CTV marketplace.