Forged statements cluster around applications where real numbers fall short: tenancies, loans, and visas. Most fakes are edited real PDFs — a balance changed here, a deposit inserted there — which means detection is a search for internal inconsistency rather than a judgment about the applicant. These seven checks catch the majority without specialist tools.
First, recompute the running balance row by row from the opening figure; edited amounts break the chain exactly where they were altered. Second, inspect PDF metadata for editing software, modification dates earlier than creation dates, or stripped creator fields. Third, count fonts across pages — pasted text arrives in a different typeface. Fourth, test round-number clustering and out-of-order dates, both common in fabricated rows.
Fifth, compare declared income against payer patterns rather than totals; inserted salary lines rarely match the employer's real descriptor cadence. Sixth, look for missing pages via date gaps and sequence breaks in running balances. Seventh, verify the document against a second source — an employer callback, a tax transcript, or a fresh download the applicant pulls up on screen.
The balance chain is the fastest check to run yourself. Convert the PDF to Excel and recompute each running balance; the Bank Statement Converter refuses any file whose balances don't reconcile. Keep the PDF and the spreadsheet with the application file as the audit trail.