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Traffic figures inflated by robots are set to cost advertisers $6.3bn (£4.02bn) in 2015.(Reuters)
"Bot fraudsters" account for almost 25% of the views from watching online video advertisements, a new investigation into the digital advertising industry has revealed.
The report for the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), conducted by web security companyWhite Ops, showed that large companies such as Ford, Intel and Mastercard have been scammed by online fraudsters.
The malicious software, hacked into the computers of millions globally by the fraudsters, is set to cost advertisers $6.3bn (£4.02bn) in 2015. 
"The bot traffic looks like legitimate human traffic," said one of the founders of White Op, Michael Tiffany. "You can make your bogus website look popular and pocket a bunch of money."