How to identify fake PDFs and common signs of PDF fraud Digital documents can be manipulated in ways that are difficult to spot at a glance. Recognizing common indicators of a fake PDF or altered file is the first line of defense. Begin by examining metadata: creation and modification dates, author fields, and application signatures often reveal discrepancies. If a PDF claims to be generated by a trusted system but shows an unexpected creation tool or a modification date that doesn’t match the context, that is a red flag. Visual inconsistencies are another telltale sign. Fonts that don’t match, uneven margins, blurred logos, or oddly aligned text often result from…