Client verification Current

Verifying a document is genuine and has not been altered

Practical, non-technical checks for document authenticity.

Most staff aren't document forensics experts, and don't need to be, but a handful of practical checks can catch a meaningful share of altered or low-quality forged documents. This guide describes those checks. It reflects Vertical Flows' own operational practice, not a regulator's own checklist.

Action plan

1 Check formatting and internal consistency Mismatched fonts, alignment, or inconsistent formatting are a common practical red flag.

Genuine identity and formation documents generally use consistent fonts, spacing, and layout throughout. Mismatched fonts, oddly aligned text, or fields that look edited compared to the rest of the document are worth a second look before accepting the document.

  • Look for inconsistent fonts, spacing, or alignment within the same document
  • Check that photos and text are the expected quality and not obviously replaced
  • Compare against a document of the same type you've seen before, where practical

Done when: The document has been checked for formatting and internal consistency

See how structured intake and review works
2 Request a second, independent document A second document from a different issuer is harder to fake convincingly than one document alone.

Asking for a second document from a different issuer, rather than relying on one document alone, makes forgery meaningfully harder, since a forger would need to convincingly replicate two independent sources rather than one.

  • Request a second document from a different issuing source where the first document alone is uncertain
  • Compare details across both documents for consistency
  • Escalate through your firm's process if the two documents don't agree

Done when: A second independent document has been requested where the first was uncertain

See requesting identity documents from an individual client
3 Escalate genuine doubt rather than guessing If something feels off, escalate through your firm's process instead of making a judgement call alone.

Practical checks narrow down risk; they don't replace your firm's own escalation process for genuine doubt. If a document looks altered or a client's story about it doesn't add up, escalate rather than making a personal judgement call about whether to accept it.

  • Escalate genuine doubt about a document's authenticity through your firm's process
  • Don't rely on a personal judgement call for a document that feels wrong
  • Document what raised the concern and how it was resolved

Done when: A clear escalation path exists for documents that raise genuine doubt