Fake vs Real Pay Stubs: A Visual Comparison Guide

Pay stub forgery has become sophisticated, but there are still clear differences between authentic documents and fakes. This guide walks through what to look for with practical examples.

Real Pay Stub Characteristics

Authentic pay stubs from legitimate payroll systems share common traits:

Common Fake Pay Stub Red Flags

Comparison Example: Federal Tax Withholding

Real Pay Stub

For a single filer earning $6,000/month gross ($72,000/year), you'd expect to see:

• Federal tax: ~$600-800/month (10-12% effective rate)
• Social Security: $372 (6.2% of gross)
• Medicare: $87 (1.45% of gross)

Fake Pay Stub Red Flag

The same $6,000/month income showing:

• Federal tax: $200 (unrealistically low 3.3%)
• Social Security: $400 (incorrect percentage)
• Medicare: $100 (rounded, incorrect)

Comparison Example: YTD Totals

Real Pay Stub (March pay stub, bi-weekly pay)

If the pay stub is dated March 15 and shows bi-weekly pay of $3,000:

• Expected YTD gross: ~$18,000 (6 pay periods x $3,000)
• YTD shown: $17,847.23 (reasonable with small variations)

Fake Pay Stub Red Flag

• March pay stub showing YTD of $36,000
• This implies 12 pay periods—impossible by mid-March
• The forger didn't think about timing consistency

Comparison Example: Employer Information

Real Employer Section

ACME Manufacturing Inc.
1847 Industrial Parkway, Suite 200
Columbus, OH 43215
EIN: 31-1234567
(614) 555-0123
      

This employer can be verified: address exists, EIN format is valid, phone number is callable.

Fake Employer Section

ABC Company LLC
123 Main Street
Anytown, USA 12345
      

Red flags: generic company name, placeholder address format, no EIN, no contact number, "Anytown" is a known placeholder.

Cross-Document Verification

The most effective fraud detection compares pay stubs with other documents:

Pay Stub vs. Bank Statement

If the pay stub shows net pay of $4,200 bi-weekly, bank statements should show:

• Direct deposits of approximately $4,200 every two weeks
• Deposit descriptions mentioning the employer name
• Consistent timing matching pay dates on the stub

Red flag: Pay stub shows $4,200 net pay, but bank deposits are $2,000 weekly cash deposits with no direct deposit history.

Pay Stub vs. Employment Letter

An employment letter stating $75,000 annual salary should align with:

• Pay stubs showing ~$2,884/bi-weekly or ~$6,250/monthly gross
• Matching employer name and address
• Consistent job title

Tools for Verification

While manual review catches many fakes, sophisticated forgeries may require additional tools:

• Google the employer: Verify they exist at the stated address
• Call HR directly: Use a number you find, not one from the applicant
• Check state records: Many states have business entity searches
• Use document verification AI: Tools like TenantProof catch patterns humans miss

When In Doubt

If something feels off about income documents:

1. Request additional documentation (multiple months of pay stubs, bank statements)
2. Verify employment independently
3. Trust your instincts—professional-looking isn't the same as legitimate
4. Consider the cost of a bad tenant vs. the cost of additional verification

The $29 you spend on document verification is nothing compared to the $7,500+ average cost of an eviction.