Notice Board
WARNING: GOOGLE ADS TARGETED BY CLICKBOTS
» A GROWING CONCERN HAS BEEN reported to TLJ about the rise of clickbot fraud affecting Google Ads campaigns. Charlie Church of East Kent Locksmiths, who has been running Google Ads successfully since mid-2023, began experiencing issues in January 2025 when a large organisation allegedly started using a clickbot to repeatedly spam his ads. As a result, his daily ad budget was quickly exhausted, causing his ads to stop showing. Charlie Church told us: I reached out to TLJ to ask if anyone else in the industry had experienced issues with clickbots. Although nothing had been reported at the time, they gave me the opportunity to share my story to help forewarn other locksmiths.
I’ ve been running Google Ads quite successfully for a while to attract new customers, bringing in three-five good leads per day. However, when the leads( or conversions) suddenly stopped, I investigated and discovered that my ads had been targeted by a clickbot. I suspect a large organisation- one that stands to benefit- is behind this, using a clickbot to repeatedly spam my ads multiple times a day. This quickly depleted my daily ad budget, causing my ads to stop showing.
After researching what to do about this issue, I invested in click fraud prevention software to mitigate the problem. While they’ re using a VPN to mask different locations worldwide, I’ ve identified that it’ s the same device each time. I did some research and clickbots seem to be a growing nationwide issue. I thought I would drop a call into TLJ to warn other locksmiths and ask if anyone else has encountered similar issues. If you notice a change in your ad results, it’ s worth considering that a clickbot may be at play.
What is Clickbot Fraud?
Clickbots are designed to generate fake clicks on ads, making it seem as though real users are engaging with them. In PPC fraud, the goal is to deplete competitors’ ad budgets by generating invalid clicks, preventing their ads from being seen by potential customers.
Actions Taken & Findings
• I’ ve been running Google Ads since mid-2023 without issues, but this started in January 2025
• I noticed a rise in clicks but a drop in conversions- no calls, no bookings
• Using a Wix website tracker, I found unusual patterns: multiple visits from
the same device, each lasting under five seconds- clear signs of bot activity
• I contacted Google, but couldn’ t reach a human only an automated verification process that directed me to online resources- no real support was provided due to my ad budget being too small to warrant their intervention
• I’ ve tested different ad settings, such as limiting ad reach to specific areas or towns, but it hasn’ t fully solved the problem.
14
APRIL 2025
locksmithjournal. co. uk Issue Takeover