Document tampering

Altering a real ID, for example by changing a date or swapping a photo.

The document started out genuine, and someone edited part of it, such as a date of birth, a name, or the portrait, to make it say something false.

Physical or digital modification of a genuine document's data or imagery.

Tampering can happen in two ways:

• Physical tampering changes the printed document, for example by scraping off ink, applying a new laminate, or replacing a photo.
• Digital tampering edits an image of the document with software, for example by changing text or pasting in a new portrait.

Common targets include:

• Dates, such as a date of birth changed to meet an age requirement or an expiry date extended.
• Names and numbers, changed to match a different identity.
• The portrait, replaced with another person's photo.

Detection looks for the traces that an edit leaves behind:

1. The system checks print quality, fonts, and spacing for inconsistencies.
2. It looks for signs that the security layer was disturbed.
3. It compares fields that should agree, such as the printed text and the barcode or machine-readable zone.

Document tampering sits next to terms that are easy to mix up:

• Photo substitution is one type of tampering, in which the portrait is replaced.
• Counterfeit document is a fake made from scratch, while tampering alters a real one.
• Digital forgery is a document that exists only on a computer and was never printed.

For more, see The New KYC Threat Model: When Documents Become Executable.