Anti-Cheat Overview

The Preads Platform incorporates an enterprise-grade Anti-Cheat engine designed to protect your network from fraudulent traffic, incentivize quality conversions, and maintain long-term advertiser trust through real-time behavioral and infrastructure auditing.


🛡️ Multi-Layered Defense Architecture

The system operates on a weighted risk-scoring model that aggregates signals from three distinct detection layers to calculate a consolidated Risk Score (0-100) for every click and conversion.

1. Infrastructure Layer (40% weight)

Uses real-time IP intelligence to identify high-risk network signatures:

  • VPN/Proxy Detection: Real-time identification of tunnelled connections.
  • TOR Exit Nodes: Automated blocking of anonymous browsing networks.
  • Datacenter Traffic: Identifying non-residential IP ranges used for automated bot traffic.

2. Identity Layer (35% weight)

Leverages advanced device fingerprinting to bind physical hardware to user accounts:

  • Multi-Accounting: Detection of users attempting to bypass limits using multiple uids on the same hardware.
  • Bot Fingerprinting: Identification of headless browsers and automated script signatures.

3. Behavioral Layer (25% weight)

Analyzes user interaction patterns to identify non-human conversion activity:

  • Fast Completion: Detection of conversions completed faster than humanly possible (e.g., watching a 30s video in 2s).
  • Rapid Conversions: Identifies "burst" activity where a single user completes dozens of offers in a suspiciously short window.
  • Suspicious Sequencing: Advanced pattern recognition for repetitive or non-linear navigation paths.

📊 Automated Decision Engine

The platform converts raw risk scores into automated administrative actions based on configurable thresholds.

Risk Score Risk Level Automated Action
0 - 19 Low Allow: Immediate processing of clicks and conversions.
20 - 39 Medium Flag: Monitor user behavior without blocking traffic.
40 - 59 High Review: Queue conversion for manual administrative audit.
60 - 100 Critical Auto-Block: Immediate rejection of conversion and possible account suspension.

[!IMPORTANT] TOR Exit Nodes are treated as critical infrastructure threats and are typically subject to immediate Auto-Blocking regardless of the weighted score.


🛠️ Management & Transparency

  • Fraud Dashboard: Real-time visibility into flagged transactions, risk scores, and the specific "signals" (e.g., vpn_detected, fast_completion) that triggered the alert.
  • Audit Heritage: Every click and conversion stores a permanent snapshot of the fraud analysis at the time of the event, ensuring full transparency during publisher disputes.
  • Custom Thresholds: Administrators can fine-tune "Threshold Sensitivity" (Critical, High, Medium) to match the risk profile of their specific network.

Configure System Requirements →