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Why OS Tracking is Crucial for Fraud Protection

A device's Operating System (OS)—such as iOS 17, Android 14, or Windows 11—is a critical piece of its digital identity. By analyzing the OS of every device that clicks your ad, ClickSambo adds another powerful layer to our fraud detection, helping us distinguish real users from fraudulent actors.

1. Identifying Non-Human Traffic (Bots)

Fraudsters often use servers and virtual machines to run automated bot scripts. These devices typically run on operating systems that are not common for consumers, like server editions of Linux or outdated versions of Windows. A click on your ad from a "Windows Server 2019" OS is an immediate red flag that it's not a genuine potential customer.

2. Detecting Emulated Devices

Scammers frequently use software to make a cheap computer pretend it's a high-value mobile device, like the latest iPhone, to generate more expensive clicks. The OS information often exposes this lie. Our system can detect when a device's reported OS signature doesn't match the hardware it claims to be, allowing us to identify and block these fraudulent emulated devices.

3. Spotting Suspicious Deviations

We establish a baseline of normal OS usage for your specific audience. If your typical customers are on the latest versions of iOS and Android, a sudden surge of clicks from old, unsupported OS versions can indicate that a low-quality click farm has targeted your ads.

By combining OS analysis with IP address, browser data, and dozens of other signals, we build a comprehensive device fingerprint. This multi-layered approach allows us to protect your ad spend with much higher accuracy.