Understanding PDF Fraud: Common Red Flags and Why It Matters PDFs are widely trusted for preserving document layout and authenticity, but that trust can be exploited. Fraudsters modify or fabricate PDFs to create false invoices, receipts, contracts, and official communications. Recognizing the typical signs of tampering is the first line of defense. Look for inconsistencies in formatting such as mismatched fonts, uneven spacing, or misaligned logos that were likely pasted rather than embedded. These visual clues often reveal that the document is a composite made from multiple sources. Metadata provides another rich source of information. Genuine files usually contain coherent creation and modification timestamps, consistent author names, and software identifiers…