Landlords, lenders, employers and anyone accepting a bank statement as proof eventually meet one that was changed: a higher balance, a salary that was never paid, a name swapped. Editing a PDF is easy. Hiding it completely is harder. Here is what to look for — and the one check that settles any doubt.
Signs you can see by reading
- The numbers do not add up. Opening balance + money in − money out should equal the closing balance, and each running balance should follow from the one before. Someone who changes one amount often forgets the balances after it.
- Fonts or alignment differ. A digit slightly bolder, smaller or out of line with the others in the same column.
- Round numbers where there should not be any, such as a salary of exactly 5,000.00 every month with no tax or deductions.
- Missing everyday activity. A real account has card payments, fees and small transfers. A statement with only a few large, neat entries is unusual.
- Inconsistent details: dates on a weekend for a bank that does not book on weekends, a period that does not match the dates, a page count that does not add up.
Signs inside the file
A PDF keeps traces of how it was made:
- The producer — the software that created the file. A statement produced by a PDF editor or an online editing tool, rather than the bank’s own system, deserves a closer look.
- Modification date later than the creation date.
- Several versions saved in one file: an edited PDF often contains the original plus the changes.
- Text in a different font on a line otherwise printed in the statement’s main font.
StatementEasy’s Document check (under More tools, after converting the statement) looks at these signs together with the balance check, and reports the statement as consistent, worth a closer look, or showing signs of editing — with the reasons.
What a document check cannot do
No tool can prove that a statement is genuine. A clean result means no sign of editing was found; a statement can still be fake if it was produced from scratch, or printed and scanned to remove the traces. Some genuine statements also look unusual — for example statements printed from a browser. Treat the result as a reason to look closer, never as proof on its own.
The check that settles it
Ask the person to have the bank send the statement to you directly, or to download it in front of you from their online banking. Many banks can also confirm an account and its balance in writing, with the account holder’s consent. That is the only reliable way to be sure.
Be fair
- Ask rather than accuse: an odd-looking statement often has a simple explanation.
- Treat every applicant the same way, with the same checks.
- Handle statements as the private documents they are, and delete them when you no longer need them.