Fraud Red Flags Guide
Select a document type — passport, invoice, contract — and see the top fraud patterns to watch for.
Font inconsistencies in MRZ zone
The machine-readable zone uses a specific OCR-B font. Altered characters often have slightly different weight or spacing.
Photo edges show pixel artifacts
A swapped photo often has visible edges, different compression levels, or mismatched lighting compared to the background.
UV/security features missing in scan
High-resolution scans of genuine passports show microprinting and guilloche patterns. Forged copies appear flat.
MRZ checksum digits don't validate
Each MRZ line has check digits computed from the data. A mismatch is a definitive sign of tampering.
Inconsistent date formats
Passports follow strict date formatting per country. Mixed formats suggest manual editing.
Laminate reflection is uniform
Genuine passport pages have holographic laminates that create uneven light patterns when scanned.
Name or nationality spelling errors
Fraudsters sometimes introduce subtle misspellings that differ from the issuing country's conventions.
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