Fraud type · Document fraud

Document fraud: when the paperwork doesn’t add up

Almost every business fraud runs on a document: an invoice, a quote, a contract, a register extract or a certificate. A PDF is easy to edit. If you know what to look for, you often still see it.

SafetyBizz Knowledge base · updated 24 October 2026 · 7 min read · NL

What is document fraud?

Short answer: creating or altering a document to make someone pay, deliver or sign based on something that is not true. Sometimes the whole document is fake; more often a single detail is changed: a bank account, an amount, a date, a name or a signature.

Which documents are forged most often?

Invoices: a real invoice from an existing supplier with a different bank account. See Invoice with a different bank account.
Quotes and order confirmations: made on the letterhead of a well-known company to obtain an advance payment.
Company register extracts: an old or edited extract showing a different director or address.
Bank statements and proof of payment: “proof” that payment has been made, to get the delivery moving.
Certificates and licences: quality, origin or insurance certificates that do not exist or have expired.
Contracts and powers of attorney: a signature or stamp of someone who never signed.
Payslips and employer statements: see Spotting fake payslips.

Rule of thumb: never verify a document with details taken from that same document. Call, look it up and compare with a source you found yourself.

Unsure about a company?

Check it now: register, directors, domain, bank account and documents side by side, with our AI fraud expert alongside.

10 red flags

The bank account is new or differentfrom earlier invoices or the website.
The account is in another countrythan where the company is based, or not in the company’s name.
Font, alignment or colour differsaround an amount, date or account number.
The document is a scan or photowhile the company normally sends digital PDFs.
The PDF properties don’t fit: made with an editing tool or on a date after the document date.
Company number, VAT number or addressdiffer from the register.
The sender’s domain looks like the real onebut is slightly different.
Signature or stamp looks pasted inor is identical on every document.
An extract is oldor shows details no longer in the register.
Urgency: “pay today or the delivery or discount is lost”.

One red flag is not proof. If you see two or more, stop and check further first.

Checklist: how to verify a document

Look up the company yourself in the official register and compare name, number, address and directors.
Compare with earlier documents from the same party: bank account, layout, contact person.
Call the company on a number you looked up yourself, not the one on the document.
Check the IBAN: country, bank and whether the account holder’s name matches.
Check the PDF properties (author, software, creation date) and zoom in on amounts and numbers.
Request an extract directly from the register instead of relying on the copy you received.
When in doubt, have a second person look before you pay or sign.

What to do if it goes wrong

Call your bank at once and ask them to recall or block the payment; every hour counts.
Keep the document, the email with full headers and all messages.
Report it to the police and inform the real company so they can warn their customers.
Change your process: bank detail changes only after a phone call.

Let Safetybizz check it

Safetybizz compares a document with the register and the company’s details: do name, number, address, bank account and sender really belong together, and was the file edited afterwards?

Frequently asked questions

How can you tell whether a PDF was edited?

Check the document properties for the software and creation date, zoom in on amounts and numbers and compare with earlier documents from the same company. Small differences in font or alignment are often the clue.

Is an invoice with a foreign bank account always fraud?

No, but it is a reason to call. Check that the account is in the company’s name and confirm it via a number you looked up yourself.

Can I ask a new customer for a register extract?

Yes, but rather rely on your own request. Company registers are public in most countries or can be consulted for a small fee.

Free checks

This page is general information and not legal advice.