The Ad Fraud Files 🗂️
Case 002: Uber vs. Phunware
We’re back with Case 002 in The Ad Fraud Files, this time we’re taking a look at one of the most high-profile ad fraud disputes ever... and yes, it involves Uber.
In 2015, Uber hired Phunware, a NASDAQ-listed mobile advertising company, to drive installs for its ride-hailing app. Over time, Uber noticed irregularities and alleged that instead of delivering real users, Phunware had:
🖱️ Used click flooding to steal credit for organic installs
🔀 Ran auto-redirects that sent users to the App Store without clicking on an ad
🚫 Placed ads on adult sites despite Uber’s contracts banning those placements
When Uber dug in, whistleblowers came forward and internal emails surfaced — including one that read:
'Guys it’s… time to spin some more BS to Uber to keep the lights on.'
Uber concluded that 90% of the installs Phunware billed for were actually ORGANIC, meaning they came from real users who downloaded the app on their own, without any ad spend driving them. Rather than pay millions for installs they didn’t receive, Uber pushed back. In 2017, Phunware sued for the unpaid invoices and Uber hit back with a countersuit alleging fraud.
After four years of discovery battles, the court sanctioned Phunware for deleting key evidence (emails, logs, placement data), dismissed Phunware’s claims entirely, and entered default judgment for Uber — leading to a $6M settlement in 2020.
💡 This case is a reminder that ad fraud can take years to untangle and most brands don’t have Uber’s legal muscle. That’s why we built Verasity. Our blockchain + AI-powered advertising infra detects ad fraud and writes it to an immutable ledger before it costs you millions (or four years in court).
I’m done posting about @verasitytech !
This is my final post about the $VRA token.
To be clear and transparent I hold a lot of tokens and won’t sell until my price targets are met !
It’s possible those targets will never be reached but I’ve held on for 5 years and won’t sell now.
The bottom line is I’m done giving this company free publicity and relentless support.
I believe this @verasitytech company are grossly contemptuous towards the army of followers that have supported their project both in terms of financial and social support.
I believe they are disrespectful of the community in general and I believe they couldn’t care less about the $VRA token or its holders.
I believe that they don’t deserve the support of this community and I believe that for 5 longs years I have wasted my time supporting them.
If by some miracle things change and the token does eventually gain some momentum I will cash out in secret and never look back.
I have grown to despise the project and the team not because the concept is bad or illegitimate but because the team, the owner, the CEO, treat this community with utter disrespect.
I’m sick of the gaslighting and the inane GM posts.
I’m sick of the fact that they refuse to acknowledge the community and support they have undeservedly received over the past 5 years.
I’m sick of the lack of serious marketing and the fact that there is no Tokenomics white paper and nobody has any clue what this purported two token system will look like.
I do wish all existing holders the very best of luck and sincerely pray we are able to come out of this with something to be happy about.
Thank you to those that followed my posts over the past few years. It’s been quite a journey navigating the lows and the even lowers.
Most of my posts will now be a mixture of general crypto news and a mix of Golf ⛳️ and general politics.
Time to get back out and about and spend more quality time with the Mrs..
Thanks 🙏
.@WebX_Asia 2025 by @coin_post is a wrap! ✨
This year marked VeraViews’ largest offline event presence to date as Platinum Sponsors at Japan’s flagship Web3 conference, a milestone that also carried extra weight with the same organizers (WebX and CoinPost) already using our technology stack.
🔹 A first for us: it was the debut of VeraViews in an offline environment since launching our end-to-end advertising supply chain and the UAE's first home-grown Ad Exchange.
🔹 A perfect fit: WebX 2025 brought together a huge presence of publishers — one of our core clientele — giving us face-to-face opportunities to showcase how our solutions unlock new revenue streams from video content.
We were delighted to welcome strong interest at our booth and hold impactful meetings with some of the leading media publishers in the Asia-Web3 space. This included @CoinDeskjapan, @CoinMarketCap, SBI Investment, @Foresight_News, and many more who are already exploring how VeraViews can help them turn traffic into monetization opportunities.
The experience underscored the versatility and broad demand for our solutions, built to serve brands across all archetypes, industries, and ecosystems… including Web3.
We were proud to be represented by our CEO, CPO, CMO, and Marketing team, who connected directly with stakeholders and leaders from every corner of the business landscape.
A huge thank you to everyone who visited our booth and connected with us. 🙏 We’re excited to nurture the newly created relationships and continue building momentum after this bustling two-day experience.
See you at the next big stage!
At the Drone Show “LIGHT DANCe,” the Bitcoin logo lit up the night sky!
From Japan, Bitcoin is set to rise even bigger and stronger. #WebX2025 Thank you @YuzoKano for such a nice video!
At #WebX2025, @justinsuntron highlighted @T3_FCU freezing $250M+ in illicit assets. 🔒
This shows #TRON’s commitment to compliance, self-regulation and a safer future for Web3. 🌍
WebX is fully packed!
We are thrilled to welcome an incredible number of participants from around the world on Day 1. The excitement is just getting started at #WebX2025
This video was taken today at 1:00 PM — just the beginning! 🎥