Document Security
In today’s business world it only takes one document, some basic technology and a criminal mind to do serious financial damage to your business. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimates that "U.S. Companies lose more than $650 billion each year to fraud with counterfeiting and document fraud making up more than two-thirds of that."
Advantage Print Source offers high security checks and check stock providing our customers with a safer banking experience.
Fraud Facts
• Worldwide, 80 billion checks change hands annually: 60 billion of those are written in the U.S.
• More than 1.2 million worthless checks are accepted for payment every day.
• Counterfeit checks are the fastest growing source of fraudulent checks due to advances in color copying and desktop publishing capabilities.
• A recent survey of more than 2,000 large U.S. corporations concluded that, on average, they lost approximately $360,000 a year to check fraud.
• U.S. Retailers place losses at $750 million through illegal copying and redemption of fake coupons and gift certificates and an additional $700 million for altered or duplicated cash register receipts.
• The U.S. Government Accounting Office reportedly paid $28 billion in benefits to individuals who used counterfeit identifications (Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, and Drivers Licenses) to defraud various social service programs.
• Counterfeiting is no longer just a white collar crime. Street gangs are responsible for a growing level of organized check fraud. They acquire genuine payroll checks and reproduce them. Then manufacture fake I.D. cards and send members to cash the fake checks at banks and supermarkets.
What You Can Do to Discourage Document Forgery/Fraud
Employ a combination of three or four paper-based and printed security features when having negotiable documents printed.
Inform your bank of the document security features you have chosen to use and ask them to be on the lookout for forged or altered documents.
Limit access to negotiable documents. Keep them under lock and key except when being used.
Don’t wait until something happens to take precautions. It is impossible to completely prevent document fraud but there are precautions that can be taken to deter possible forgers. Document security costs a small fraction of the loss caused by one forged or altered document.
Ways to Protect Your Documents
- Penetrating Inks
- Fluorescent Inks
- Chemical Papers
- Wire-Wove/Laid Line Papers
- Security/Thread/Fibers
- Artificial Watermarks
- High Resolution Borders
- Holostripe
- Microprint Signature Line
- Security Pantograph
- Prismatic Printing
- Warning Bands
- And More
More Ways to Protect Your Documents
Penetrating Inks: Inks which contain special dyes that penetrate into paper fibers. This feature is most commonly used in consecutive number applications.
Fluorescent Inks: Ink that glows when exposed to black light. Available in visible or invisible versions. Criminals cannot photocopy and still achieve a fluorescent quality.
Chemical Papers: Papers that react to various bleaches, solvents or ink eradicators which make alterations easily detectable. When a chemical is used to alter information on the document, discoloration of the paper results and the word “VOID” appears.
Wire-Wove/Laid Line Papers: Patterns which are preprinted on the paper to prevent cut and paste alterations.
Security Thread/Fibers: Fibers and threads embedded in the paper during the paper manufacturing process. They can be fluorescent, metalized, or material. The thread can also be micro-printed.
Artificial Watermarks: Printed in white or clear inks which cannot be photocopied. Can be verified by holding the document at a 45-degree angle toward or away from light.
High Resolution Borders: Highly detailed borders, often computer generated, which will distort when photocopied or scanned.
Holostripe: Tape with three-dimensional holographic images created by laser technology. Cannot be photocopied and attempts at removal will destroy paper fibers.
Micro-print Signature Line: Text printed so small it cannot be detected without magnification. To the naked eye it appears as a solid line. A photocopier cannot reproduce micro-printed text.
Security Pantograph: Patterned background which has the word “VOID” hidden within it. When copied “VOID” appears on document.
Prismatic Printing: Background screen where two or more colors blend into each other. This type of printing makes it difficult to alter information on the document.
Warning Bands: Notices on the face of the document which warn that there are security features present. It is best to print these warning bands where there is a pantograph or screen so that it cannot be easily removed.
And more!