Confirmed: ads.txt cleanup blocked $14K/mo in misattributed spend

Confirmed: ads.txt cleanup blocked $14K/mo in misattributed spend
A news network found 3 unauthorized domains declaring their seller ID as DIRECT.
— Spoofed inventory was selling under their name on 2 SSPs
— They tightened ads.txt to only authorized resellers, filed takedowns
— SSPs purged the fraudulent declarations within 9 days
Buyers stopped seeing the spoofed supply; the publisher's real win rate climbed because DSP bid throttling on their domain eased.
Impact: A stale ads.txt is an open door. Audit declarations quarterly.
Confidence: sourced