How do you know if a document is true or false?

Document fraud affects all companies, of all sizes and in all sectors and it can be very expensive, from a financial but also reputational point of view. To preserve your business, enabling your teams to recognize a false document is therefore essential. So how do you know if a document is true or false? Find out in this article.

False document: definition 

A false document refers to any document that has been created and then used with the aim of deceiving, obtaining illegitimate advantages or even committing criminal activities. It harms both businesses and individuals. 

There are different types of false documents such as counterfeiting, falsification and pseudo-documents.

These can take many forms. These may include identity documents, birth certificates, diplomas, contracts, RIB, quotes or even invoices. Generally, they are used to commit fraud when subscribing to insurance, for example, in real estate, or even to take out a loan.

How to create a fake document?

But how do fraudsters create these false documents? Today, many tools such as Canva, Photoshop or Paint can allow anyone to create or modify a document from scratch on their personal computer. 

Furthermore, it is now possible to create a false document on the Internet using tools accessible to the general public. You don't even have to go to the dark web anymore. Some are even imagined based on the ChatGPT model. This is the case of WormGPT or FraudGPT.

Despite these increasingly sophisticated fraud techniques which can be worrying, there are reliable and effective ways to detect false documents. 

📣 We're talking about it! To learn more about WormGPT and FraudGPT, join the anti-fraud community!

How to recognize a fake document? 

There are different methods to recognize a fake document. The first being simply to the naked eye. 

Detecting a fake document with the naked eye 

A careful visual inspection can help you recognize a fraudulent document. Inconsistent font, layout, quality of paper if it is a non-scanned document, print quality, blurry images... Some details are unmistakable and we can notice signs of fraud with the naked eye, when this is roughly carried out.


🙁 The negative point: as fraud techniques are increasingly sought after, this is unfortunately not enough. In addition, if your company processes a large number of documents, this technique will also be insufficient to sustainably fight against fraud and this is time-consuming for your teams.

Detect a false document thanks to the training of your teams by an expert in document fraud

Calling on a document fraud expert can prove to be a boon in the fight against fraud for your business. The latter know how to recognize much more complex cases. Indeed, their training prepares them to detect details such as watermarks, inauthentic signatures, hidden symbols and subtle alterations that the untrained human eye would not necessarily be able to recognize. 

👀 To find out more about the profession of document fraud expert and trainer, discover our interview with Jean-Paul Gagnon. 

🙁 The negative point: they are excellent support in occasional cases of fraud to be detected. However, once again, in the event that your company processes a large number of documents, this technique will also be insufficient to sustainably fight against documentary fraud.

Detect a fake document using fake document detection software

Thanks to the advent of technology, and in particular artificial intelligence, many digital tools are available to detect false documents. These software use sophisticated algorithms to analyze scanned documents in depth. The latter can access information invisible and inaccessible to the human eye. For example, fake document detection software will make it possible to recognize if a PDF has been modified and on what software... even if nothing seems to be manipulated a priori. 

This is the case of the false document detection solution developed by Finovox.

Why choose Finovox as your fake document detection solution? 

If you deal with documents frequently, you may consider investing in fake document detection software such as Finovox.  

Developed thanks to proprietary artificial intelligence, the Finovox solution makes it possible to analyze 100% documents and detect fraud. 

But then what information does our solution see that the human eye cannot see? 

• Data structure: by analyzing the data structure of your document, Finovox breaks down each line of your document and discovers possible alterations. This also allows you to know whether the document provided comes from an automatic generator or not.

• Metadata: this is the digital identity card of the document. These are altered when it is opened and modified in software like Photoshop. By analyzing them, Finovox can tell you that the file has received one – or more – modifications and in which software.
  
• Forensics data: Finovox provides its clients with tools such as Forensic PDF and Forensic Image. These tools allow you to better investigate all your documents. Changing pixels, fonts or sizes, you will be able to understand everything thanks to these two tools.

This information – and much more – is accessible thanks to the powerful tools that make up our solution and which subsequently allow you to provide “proof” of attempted fraud.

Would you like to know more about our solution? Contact one of our experts!