PDF documents have become the gold standard for sharing important information. From bank statements to payslips, these documents play a crucial role in various aspects of our personal and professional lives. However, the rise of fake documents such as payslips and bank statements has become a significant concern for businesses. In this blog post, we explore the various ways people commit fraud with fake documents and how VerifyPDF, with its fake PDF detector, can help businesses around the World.
Common ways to commit fraud with PDF documents
Why you need a fake PDF detector?
Businesses are experiencing an alarming increase in manipulated documents, with fake payslips and fake bank statements becoming increasingly common. In fact, document fraud attempts involving fake PDFs have increased by 30% in the past year alone. Have you ever wondered how they do it? Let’s dive into some of the most prevalent methods fraudsters use to manipulate PDF documents.
Use of PDF editor
One of the most straightforward yet effective methods of document forgery involves using PDF editing software. Fraudsters often start with a legitimate document, such as a bank statement showing a salary payment and modify it to display a much higher amount. The thing is: there are hundreds of free online PDF editors that work great. Just google “PDF editor” (or click here) to check it out by yourself. Popular tools for this type of manipulation include:
- iLovePDF.com
- NitroPDF
- Sejda
- SmallPDF
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
These applications allow users to easily alter text, numbers and even images within a PDF, making it challenging for the untrained eye to spot the forgery. Long time ago, the PDF format used to be closed source. That means that a company called Adobe used to control the PDF format and unofficial PDF editors not released by Adobe did not work too well. However, due to the widespread adoption of the PDF format, the format became a standard in 2008 (you can read more about this here). This has enabled third parties to develop tools to edit PDFs quite successfully. Advanced fake PDF detectors can often identify telltale signs of editing, even when changes are subtle.
Template-based forgeries
Another common tactic involves acquiring templates that mimic the look and feel of original documents. Fraudsters then use software like Adobe Illustrator or even Microsoft Word to add fake information to these templates. Templates are often used to create convincing fake bank statements and fake payslips that can fool even experienced reviewers. The truth is that this method can be particularly convincing as the overall layout and design of the document appear authentic.
- Templates serve as the foundation for creating fake bank statements, payslips and other document types, providing a structure for the layout and design of the document.
- They include pre-formatted sections for personal details, transaction records, account balances, logos, etc.
- By utilizing templates, fraudsters can quickly fabricate convincing bank statements that appear legitimate at first glance.
Surprisingly, many websites that sell such templates can be found on Google (you can try that as well, you will be surprised). There is also a growing community of people creating templates in the dark web and many are exchanged in Telegram groups. According to Inscribe, the use of fake document templates has increased by nearly 20% since 2023. A sophisticated fake PDF detector is crucial for identifying these template-based forgeries.
From-scratch fake document creation
Some fraudsters go to great lengths to recreate documents from scratch. Using software like Microsoft Word, they meticulously replicate the layout and design of genuine documents, for example a payslip. To add an extra layer of authenticity, they may even obtain company logos from official websites or Google Images.
Fortunately, it is very hard to recreate the document fully from scratch (but not impossible!). Sometimes placing an original document side-by-side can already make it clear which one is the original and which one is not. The problem is when the documents created are supposed to come from a small company. How could anybody check a payslip of a small language academy situated in a small town you have never heard about? This is where a robust fake PDF detector like VerifyPDF becomes invaluable.
Image editing tricks
We see many cases where fraudsters convert PDFs to images and then use image editing software like Adobe Photoshop to make alterations before converting the resulting image to PDF format. While this method can be effective, it’s often more time-consuming and may leave behind telltale signs of manipulation: Why everything looks pixelated? Why I cannot select the text in the document? Why the document contain so many compression artifacts?
We believe that documents should come directly from the source. What does this mean? Let’s say that you download a bank statement from your bank. You access your online banking environment and download a bank statement in PDF format. That document is then submitted for a loan application as a proof of income document. Simple, right? Any further processing or alterations should raise an alarm. A sophisticated fake PDF detector can identify these image-based manipulations by analyzing pixel patterns and compression artifacts.
Things to watch out for with fake PDF detector
According to the thousands of documents processed by VerifyPDF, about 80% of the fake documents started as a genuine document and then had a very small alteration, perhaps to one letter or number while retaining the rest of the document the same. Let’s look at a couple of examples:
Small modifications in fake documents
Imagine a scenario where a fraudster obtains a genuine bank statement from a family member or friend. By modifying only the account holder’s name while leaving the rest of the document intact, they create a forgery that’s incredibly difficult to spot. It is just one little change in a multi-page document and everything looks exactly the same. This type of partial alteration can easily slip past inexperienced fraud analysts or those not working in document forensics daily.
Date manipulation and other inconsistencies
Another clever tactic involves using an old, genuine document and simply altering the date. For example, someone who is currently unemployed might take a payslip from a previous job and change the date to make it appear as a recent salary payment. This method is particularly insidious as the majority of the document remains authentic. A good fake PDF detector will flag documents with mismatched creation dates, software versions, or other metadata inconsistencies.
The challenges of detecting fake documents
The variety and sophistication of these fraud techniques present significant challenges for traditional document verification methods. Many of these forgeries can easily fool the human eye, which is why a reliable fake PDF detector is essential, especially when the person reviewing the document isn’t trained in forensic analysis. Moreover, the sheer volume of documents that need to be verified in many business processes makes manual inspection impractical and prone to errors, underscoring the importance of an efficient fake PDF detector.
Fake PDF detectors have become increasingly sophisticated, employing machine learning algorithms to analyze documents at a level of detail and speed impossible for human reviewers. These tools can examine hundreds of data points within a document, from font consistency to metadata integrity, providing a comprehensive assessment of a document’s authenticity.
The fake PDF detector of VerifyPDF
VerifyPDF’s fake PDF detector is designed to combat all types of document fraud. Our cutting-edge solution leverages advanced AI algorithms and an ever-growing database of authentic documents to detect even the most sophisticated fake documents. Here is how VerifyPDF tackles the various fraud techniques we have discussed:
- Multi-layered analysis: VerifyPDF examines documents from multiple angles, checking content, metadata and visual elements for inconsistencies.
- Pattern recognition: Our AI algorithms are trained to recognize the subtle patterns present in genuine documents, making it easier to spot anomalies.
- Historical comparison: VerifyPDF can compare documents with those seen in the past, helping to identify serial fraud attempts. In other words, detecting when the same paylip has been used in the past.
- Logo and layout verification: The system checks that logos and layouts match those of legitimate documents from authentic institutions.
- Metadata examination: VerifyPDF extracts the document metadata to ensure it matches what would be expected from a genuine document.
- Continuous learning: As our database grows, so does our system’s ability to detect new and emerging forgery techniques.
The importance of robust document verification
In an era where document fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated, robust verification processes are more critical than ever. Whether you work for a financial institution processing loan applications, an HR department verifying job candidates’ credentials or a government agency handling official documents, the risks of accepting forged documents are simply too high to ignore.
By implementing a fake PDF detector like VerifyPDF, organizations and businesses can protect themselves from financial losses, maintain regulatory compliance and preserve their reputation and trustworthiness. VerifyPDF can also streamline document review pipelines and help your team stay ahead of evolving fraud techniques.
By leveraging the power of AI, machine learning and a comprehensive database of authentic documents, VerifyPDF’s fake PDF detector is setting a new standard in document verification. Protect your business from sophisticated document fraud. Try VerifyPDF’s fake PDF detector for free and stop fake documents in their tracks.
