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Google has wiped over 180 apps from the Play Store in response to findings from ad verification vendor Integral Ad Science (IAS) that uncovered a massive ad fraud operation that used shell Android apps to generate millions of dollars in ad revenue.
After noticing a handful of “anomalies in app behavior and traffic patterns” in late 2024, said IAS’ head of fraud protection Scott Pierce, the IAS Threat Lab instigated a thorough investigation of app behavior. What the team found was a sophisticated ad fraud scheme executed by fraudsters operating across various developer accounts.
The operation, dubbed Vapor Threat, exploited ad networks to serve full-screen video ads on more than 180 apps that looked like legitimate health and fitness apps or utilities-type apps like alarms and flashlights—but were stripped of their functionality and then used solely to milk ad revenues.
