Fraud persists not because the industry is ignorant but because the incentives are designed for willful blindness. The unwritten rule of digital advertising has always been “spend and smile.” Procurement likes neat dashboards, CMOs like stage time at Cannes, and agencies like invoices that don’t trigger questions. Agentic AI can flip this script—budget-before-benefit proofs baked into every campaign—but only if contracts and compensation structures finally grow teeth.