Document Authenticity Checklist Scorer

Evaluate the authenticity of a document by checking key verification criteria. Each item is weighted by its importance. The final score indicates the likelihood of document authenticity.

Physical & Visual Security Features

Official watermark or security paper present?

Official seal, stamp, or embossment present?

Hologram or foil security feature present?

Microprinting or fine-line patterns visible?

UV-reactive ink or features present?

Content & Formatting Integrity

Fonts and typography are consistent and official?

Layout matches known authentic templates?

Dates, serial numbers, and IDs are logically consistent?

No spelling errors or grammatical inconsistencies?

No visible signs of alteration, erasure, or overwriting?

Issuer & Authority Verification

Issuing authority name and contact details are present?

Authorized signature(s) are present and legible?

Document can be cross-referenced with issuer registry or database?

Chain of custody or provenance is documented?

Digital & Metadata Checks (if applicable)

Valid digital signature or certificate present?

Metadata (author, creation date) is consistent with document claims?

Document hash or checksum verified with issuer?

Contextual Plausibility

Document purpose and context are plausible and consistent?

Document age and condition are consistent with claimed date?

Third-party or independent verification obtained?

Formula

Each checklist item i has a binary (or ternary for digital items) response value v_i ∈ {0, 1} (or {0, 1, 2} for digital fields) and an assigned weight w_i reflecting its importance to authenticity.

Weighted Score = Σ (v_i × w_i)

Max Possible Score = Σ (max(v_i) × w_i)

Authenticity Score (%) = (Weighted Score / Max Possible Score) × 100

Critical Override: If "No visible alterations" = No OR "Authorized signature present" = No, the verdict is automatically escalated to HIGH RISK regardless of the percentage score, as these are non-negotiable authenticity requirements.

Verdict thresholds:

≥ 85% → Likely Authentic
65–84% → Moderate Confidence
40–64% → Low Confidence
< 40% → Likely Fraudulent
Critical flag triggered → High Risk (override)

Assumptions & References

Weights are assigned based on forensic document examination best practices, with physical tampering indicators (alterations) and authority verification (signature, registry) receiving the highest weights.
Digital fields use a three-point scale (0 = No/Invalid, 1 = N/A for physical documents, 2 = Yes/Verified) to avoid penalizing physical documents for lacking digital features.
The checklist is based on guidelines from the ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) Fraud Examiners Manual and ISO/IEC 19794 document security standards.
This tool provides a structured risk-scoring framework and does not replace professional forensic document examination, legal authentication, or law enforcement investigation.
A score of 100% does not guarantee authenticity; sophisticated forgeries may pass visual checks. Always combine with database verification and expert review for high-stakes decisions.
Reference: UNODC, Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism — Document Verification Guidelines (2022).
Reference: INTERPOL, Document Fraud Best Practices (2021).

Document Authenticity Checklist Scorer

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Document Authenticity Checklist Scorer

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