Imagine this: You’re about to hand over your property to a tenant with a flawless resume, great job, solid references. Then you spot something fishy on their pay stub. Is it legit?
With fake documents flooding the internet, verifying a pay stub’s authenticity is a skill you can’t skip. Here’s how to catch the frauds, step by step, with no fluff.
The Basics: Where Fakers Fumble
Start simple, check for typos and missing pieces. I once nabbed a fake stub because “employee” was spelled “emplyee”, a rookie mistake.
Legit stubs list everything: employee name, employer details, pay period, gross pay, deductions, and net pay. No blanks allowed.
Dates matter too, if it says weekly pay but the company runs bi-weekly, that’s a lie screaming to be caught. Skim it like you’re proofreading a love letter. For more on spotting shady docs, this guide is gold. A real stub feels complete; a fake one’s got holes you could drive a truck through.
Numbers: The Math Doesn’t Lie
Time to play detective with a calculator. Gross pay minus deductions should equal net pay, simple, right? If the numbers don’t add up, the stub’s toast.
Look at earnings trends too; random spikes might mean someone’s padding the truth, especially if they’re not in a commission gig.
Here’s a tip: real paychecks rarely end in round figures like $1,000. Taxes, health insurance, and 401(k) contributions leave you with oddball amounts, think $987.43 or $1,234.67.
Round numbers smell like a quick Photoshop job. I once saw a stub with a net pay of $2,000 flat, too perfect, too fake. Dig into the decimals; that’s where the truth hides.
Design: The Look Betrays the Lie
A real pay stub’s got style, logos, watermarks, fonts that don’t flip-flop. Big companies use payroll systems like ADP or Paychex, and their stubs have a polished, uniform vibe. Fakes?
They’re sloppy, misaligned text, blurry logos, or Comic Sans sneaking in. I’ve seen knockoffs from fake paystub generators that almost pass, but the devil’s in the details.
Check for security features like microtext or barcodes. If it looks like it was printed on a home inkjet, it probably was.
Cross-Reference: Connect the Dots
Don’t trust the stub alone, match it with bank statements or tax forms. Does the net pay line up with deposits? Is the employer’s name the same everywhere?
A guy once handed me a stub showing $3,000 monthly, but his bank showed $1,500 deposits, busted. Ask for a W-2 or 1099 if you can; annual income should jive with the stub’s story. It’s like piecing together a puzzle, everything should fit.
If the edges don’t align, you’ve got a forgery on your hands. This step takes time, but it’s your safety net.
Phone the Employer: Go Straight to the Source
Calling the employer’s a gutsy move, but it works. First, get the employee’s okay, privacy laws are no joke. Then ask about hire dates, salary, or pay frequency.
Keep it pro; you’re not a PI grilling a suspect. I once called a company and learned the “employee” quit years ago, case closed.
It’s messy, like fishing with no bait, but when it pays off, you’ve got solid proof. Just don’t expect every HR rep to spill the beans.
Tools: Help or Hype?
Verification services sound slick, but they’re not foolproof. Some are legit, like InVerify or The Work Number, but others are scams in sheep’s clothing.
Check reviews before you bite. Even the good ones can’t replace your own eyes. I tried a service once; it flagged a stub as real, but the numbers were off by $500. Use them as a backup, not a crutch.
Think of it like a dating app, great for options, lousy for trust. Stick to your own sleuthing first.
Wrap-Up: Stay Sharp
Here’s the deal: verifying pay stubs is like sniffing out a scam artist. Typos, shaky math, or a cheap design scream trouble. Cross-check docs and call the employer if you’re bold.
Tools can help, but don’t lean on them. I’ve seen fakes so good they fooled landlords, until someone got curious.
Trust your instincts, poke the weak spots, and you’ll catch the liars before they cash in. What’s the slickest fake you’ve spotted?