How to spot fake documents

For instance, some proof of address documents crop up frequently, such as documents from major energy companies and large banks. It's easy to compare incoming documents to templates created from examples already confirmed as genuine, so logo detection that flags out-of-date designs or page layouts inconsistent with real documents commonly outs attempts to fake proof of address.

For documents that are less common or that attempt to alter real examples, minor qualities that can go unnoticed by humans—like copy-pasted letters or inconsistent image qualities—can certainly point to a fraudulent document.

Bank statements are important tools for confirming proof of funds, proof of income, and proof of address, especially for online lenders aiming to carry out the underwriting process. Skilled fraudsters will probably skip outright document forgery and will instead choose to edit PDF versions of bank account statements—these can easily be found online or downloaded from an email or banking app. While the altered end product may be outwardly pretty convincing to a human reviewer, this approach leaves an obvious technological trail that the file has undergone unauthorized changes.

W2 forms come into play during tax season as well as when lenders and government services need to verify proof of employment and other personal details. Fraudsters often present fake W2s to inflate their income, resulting in the ability to be approved for loans or interest rates they aren't qualified for or which they never intend to pay back at all.

Fake W2s and other very common standardized forms might seem like easy targets for forgery and manipulation, but their consistency actually helps catch underhanded dealings. If certain fields don't align with the rest of the form or non-standard fonts appear, there's a good chance that you're dealing with a fake form.