Fake payslips are the easiest lie to tell — and the hardest to catch by eye.
Payslip fraud is the fastest-growing form of income misrepresentation. Templates are sold openly online, and AI can generate a convincing payslip in seconds. TamperCheck catches what manual review misses — font inconsistencies, arithmetic errors, metadata anomalies, and structural fingerprints of fabrication.
The problem
Why payslip fraud is so pervasive
Payslips are simple, standardised documents — which makes them easy to fake. A genuine payslip from most payroll systems contains a name, employer, gross pay, deductions, and net pay. Replicating this layout in a PDF editor or spreadsheet takes minutes.
Pre-made payslip templates are available on dozens of websites. For as little as $20, anyone can purchase a template with realistic branding for major employers. AI tools have made this even easier — a text prompt can generate a complete payslip with plausible figures.
The key vulnerability is that payslips are rarely verified at source. Unlike bank statements (which at least come from a known institution's portal), payslips can be "provided by the applicant" and there's often no independent verification step.
What we detect
Forensic signals that expose fraud
Gross-to-net arithmetic verification
TamperCheck verifies that gross pay minus all listed deductions (tax, super/401k, insurance) equals the stated net pay. Edited payslips frequently have arithmetic that doesn't add up.
Font and spacing consistency
When specific fields (like the salary amount) are edited, the font weight, kerning, or rendering often differs subtly from the rest of the document. TamperCheck detects these per-field differences.
Employer branding plausibility
Fake payslips often use low-resolution employer logos, incorrect company addresses, or ABN/EIN numbers that don't match the stated employer. TamperCheck checks branding consistency.
Template fingerprinting
Known fake payslip templates leave structural fingerprints in the PDF — specific font combinations, layout patterns, and metadata signatures that TamperCheck recognises.
Pay period and date plausibility
TamperCheck checks that pay dates, periods, and fiscal year references are internally consistent and plausible for the stated employer and jurisdiction.
AI-generation detection
Payslips generated entirely by AI exhibit rendering patterns, noise signatures, and structural properties that differ from documents produced by genuine payroll software.
The solution
How TamperCheck catches fake payslips
Upload any payslip — Australian, UK, US, or international — and TamperCheck returns a forensic verdict with specific findings. No payroll expertise required from your review team.
How it works
- Works on any payslip format — PDF, scan, or phone photo
- Arithmetic verification automatically checks gross, deductions, and net
- Employer branding analysis flags suspicious logos and company details
- Template detection identifies known fake payslip sources
- Verdict in seconds via API or dashboard upload
- $0.50 per document — cheaper than a single minute of manual review
FAQ
Common questions
See it working on your documents
Start with $5 in free credits — no contract, no card required. Upload your first document and get a verdict in seconds.