Google is fighting financial fraud in advertising by expanding its verification program to more countries.

Google is expanding its verification program for financial advertising, which will require advertisers in many countries to prove that they are authorized to promote financial services.

The verification adds an extra layer of protection against financial fraud, helping to ensure that people are not deceived when they click on search ads.

Google first launched the program in the U.K. in September 2021, which reportedly led to a marked decrease in ads promoting fraudulent services.

After a successful launch in the U.K., Google is expanding the verification program to other countries, starting with Australia, Singapore and Taiwan.

What does this mean for advertisers?
Advertisers in the aforementioned markets will have to go through two additional steps before they start advertising financial services.
They will have to:

Demonstrate that they are authorized by their respective financial services regulator
Complete Google’s advertiser verification program
This policy goes into effect Aug. 30, and advertisers can start applying for verification at the end of June.

That’s a full two months to check and prevent any ad campaign violations.

That sounds like a lot of time, but advertiser vetting is not a quick process. It’s better to start sooner than later.
Getting Verified by Google.
Google’s advertiser verification program consists of several requirements, each with its own set of steps to complete.

Advertisers are required to:

Answer a series of questions about their business
Verify their identity
Verify information about their business operations
The process is extensive enough that Google doesn’t expect advertisers to complete it in one session. Once the verification process begins, you will have 30 days to complete it.
Advertisers who have not completed the new verification process by Aug. 30 will not be allowed to advertise financial services with Google Ads.