How To Distinguish A Real Paystub From A Fake One

Technology has advanced considerably over the past few years. While most of these changes have been positive, some have been negative. For example, the difference between a real and a fake paystub has become minimal and almost impossible to determine by sight.

How can you tell a fake paystub from a real one? Pay stubs are used for various purposes, such as obtaining a loan or applying for a mortgage. If you are looking at someone’s paystub, you need to be sure you look at the real thing. But how can you tell it’s real? Read on, and we’ll walk you through the telltale signs you should look for.

Missing Basic Information

It would be best to start by checking the paystub before you for all the obvious details. A proper paystub should contain the person’s name, occupation, and other basic information. Sometimes fake paystubs are created based on real ones, and old details remain. If you see anything that doesn’t match the rest of the information you have about the person, it may indicate that the paystub is a fake.

Other small problems, such as spelling errors, may be reason enough to be suspicious. A professional accountant is likely to detect and correct these problems before sending them to employees. Using the letter “O” and the number “0” as interchangeable is another example of a simple error that can appear on a fake paystub but not on a real one.

Excessive Rounding

Paystubs are prepared by a team of professional accountants whose entire job revolves around counting money to the decimal point. These are precise and dedicated people, and they care about accuracy. It means that a standard paystub must have many cents and very little rounding up or down.

Accountants don’t practice rounding up to a whole dollar, that’s for sure. If you notice too many areas rounded to the nearest dollar, it may be a sign of trouble. If the numbers on your paystub seem wrong, you should trust your intuition: the paystub could be a fake.

Shaky Formatting

How easy is it to read a paystub before you? If you’re having trouble recognizing information because of odd formatting or printing, be wary. Accountants work hard to ensure that their payroll service provides clean and easy-to-read paystubs. If you see a paystub where the numbers don’t match or have difficulty understanding the layout, you can ask clarifying questions. There’s a good chance you’re looking at a fake.

Additional Verification

Request multiple forms of income verification to minimize the risk of becoming a victim of fraud. Here are some additional ways to verify income:

1. A W-2 tax form.
2. A letter from your employer.
3. Tax form 1099.
4. Bank statements.
5. IRS form 1040.

As with paystubs, too, you have to make sure the additional documents are authentic. However, the more certificates and declarations the scammer forges, the more likely it is that they’ll fail to notice an error in one of the forgeries, which will help expose the scammer.

Let’s Summarize

Let’s summarize five basic signs of a fake paystub. Here they are:

1. The letters “O” instead of zeros.
2. Round numbers.
3. Inconsistent or incorrect information.
4. Missing information.
5. Unprofessional appearance due to unique font types, alignment issues, blurred text, and the like.

You’ll never be able to recognize all the scams that exist. But a little common sense can help you avoid falling for scammers. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. Be cautious and, if in doubt, consult a lawyer.