9 Most Vital Document Authenticity Checks in Online Scenarios

Let’s start with a brief overview of the entire process—specifically in Regula Document Reader SDK:

First, the software captures the document presented by the user in front of the camera. In an active flow, the user may also be asked to tilt their ID to enable further liveness checks. Additionally, a scan quality assessment is performed. 

Next, it detects the document type along with key attributes like the machine-readable zone (MRZ), barcode, and RFID chip (for biometric documents). Using the appropriate document layout, the software reads and verifies data in the visual inspection zone (VIZ), MRZ, barcode, and chip, then validates and cross-checks all recognized information during lexical analysis. 

Also, the software performs additional document authenticity checks, analyzing and validating dynamic security features such as holograms, Dynaprint images, Optically Variable Ink (OVI), and Multiple Laser Image (MLI)—during liveness detection. This confirms that the user is presenting a physical document—not a printout or a screen image—which is especially important for non-biometric IDs, where chip verification isn’t available.

In short, photo ID verification today goes far beyond basic Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and data reading. Advanced technology enables full document authentication through deep analysis of every attribute—even those as “simple” as the MRZ.

With deepfake-powered identity fraud on the rise and tech-savvy scammers playing their game, the following document authenticity checks aren't just nice to have—they’re essential.

Let’s take a Polish passport as an example to walk through the critical steps.

As more countries adopt identity documents with embedded RFID chips, online ID verification becomes harder to bypass. Secured with advanced cryptography, these chips store identification data and biometrics like the holder’s portrait and fingerprints, which makes them a reliable proof of identity. 

Chip verification involves a series of checks, including validation of the data signature, the entire certificate chain up to the root, and various cryptographic mechanisms. A successful check result confirms the document’s authenticity with a high degree of probability. For this reason, many regulated industries like Banking are moving toward biometric-only IDs for digital customer onboarding.  

However, fraudsters try to bypass this check using sophisticated tricks like chip cloning. That’s why, in remote scenarios, it’s critical to follow a zero trust to mobile approach and run an additional check to validate the mobile verification results in a trusted environment, such as a private cloud or a company’s on-premises infrastructure.

Good lighting, resolution, and focus might seem secondary in document authentication—but they’re anything but. A poor-quality ID scan leads to unreliable results, OCR failures, and frustrating retakes that disrupt the entire flow for a customer.

That’s why advanced document capture and image quality assessment are just as important as traditional verification steps when you check document authenticity online. Through image preprocessing, IDV software obtains a scan that contains all the necessary data from the start. No retakes. And no risk of missing critical details when verifying the text in later steps.

A human IDV expert—like a border control officer—usually starts by visually assessing the overall integrity of the document. In remote IDV, this step is replicated through OCR and VIZ checks. The software recognizes, extracts, and analyzes textual information from the data page and looks for signs of tampering, such as font mismatches or wrong spacing.

Referencing a global document template database is crucial at this stage. Regula currently maintains a library of over 15,000 ID templates from 251 countries and territories—and it keeps growing as new document series are released every year. 

AI-generated or altered document scans can look plausibly convincing at first glance, which makes deeper authentication essential in online IDV. A document pattern check allows for a closer examination of specific areas in the ID layout.

Every identity document includes intricate background patterns consisting of security features like microprinting, parallel or intertwined lines, guilloche patterns, and colorful design elements. These must be present and verifiable in the submitted scan. 

In Regula Document Reader SDK, this check is fully automated. When analyzing an ID datapage, the system reveals the similarity rate between the scanned area and the corresponding selection in the reference document.

The rise of genAI has made it easier to commit a common type of fraud: ID photo substitution. Many modern identity documents include multiple portraits of the holder—not just the main photo—and counterfeiters attempt to imitate them all.  

For this reason, a photo check is a must when you authenticate ID documents remotely. The software automatically detects all facial images in the document, analyzes their positions and specific attributes, and checks whether anything is missing or out of place. It then compares this data against the reference layout.

Most modern identity documents, primarily passports, feature an MRZ that follows ICAO guidelines. This section typically contains personal details found in the VIZ, as well as key document validity data like the document number and country code. Importantly, MRZs include checksums between data stashes, which IDV software verifies during the validation process.

Barcodes, on the other hand, aren't mandatory but are widely used in documents like national identity cards, driver’s licenses, visas, and residence permits. Different barcode types, such as  PDF417 and QR codes, are used to encode personal data. An effective IDV solution must be able to detect and decode them all while validating their formats. Some barcodes, such as the QR code in Philippine national ID cards, are digitally signed to ensure integrity. This adds digital signature verification to the standard ID authentication process. 

Since fraudsters may alter MRZs and swap barcodes, validating and cross-checking data from these elements is a critical step in online IDV.

Modern security printing offers various visual effects designed to protect ID documents—such as color-shifting elements and images that change based on viewing angle. These include holograms, kinegrams, OVI, Dynaprint images, and MLIs.

Because they are hard to imitate, these features help confirm the document's authenticity—and fortunately, they can be verified during an online ID document liveness check using advanced software like Regula Document Reader SDK.

However, there’s a hidden hurdle. On one hand, dynamic security features in a document help confirm its authenticity through a liveness check, which increases the reliability of remote verification. On the other hand, if these features are of poor quality, they can’t be verified effectively. Some IDV vendors, like Regula, are aware of such issues in specific document series and exclude liveness detection from the authentication process in these cases, treating the document as one without dynamic security features and verifying it accordingly.

In most identity documents, data appears in three places: the VIZ, machine-readable elements like MRZs and barcodes, and the chip (for biometric IDs). While this information is usually the same, it’s encoded in different formats—and cross-checking it is essential.    

After the IDV software reads and extracts all necessary data, this information is organized in a structured way while each inconsistency, including ones detected during cross-checks, is flagged. Also, some details like a name, address, or identification number can be additionally checked against third-party sources, such as watchlists and government databases.

Last but not least, it’s important to prove there’s an authentic holder behind the document. With fraudsters increasingly using presentation attacks, a liveness check is a critical safeguard. Even if the document is genuine, the presenter might be impersonating someone else.

Liveness detection evaluates whether a real person is present in front of the camera, using selfie analysis or prompting actions like smiling or nodding. Advanced solutions detect subtle anomalies, including deepfake artifacts and on-screen image traits, as well as video injections.

This step is often paired with face matching, where the system compares the document portrait with the selfie to detect any mismatches or manipulations, confirming that the document really belongs to the person submitting it.

Modern identity document checks powered by robust IDV software deliver border-level precision in remote workflows. A trusted online IDV system typically includes:

• Image quality assessment and automated capture

• Automated detection of document types using a reference ID template database 

• OCR

• Barcode and MRZ reading

• NFC verification

• Liveness detection (for documents and biometrics)

• Authenticity checks of security features 

• Face matching

With all these layers, it’s nearly impossible for a passport or other ID document altered using generative AI tools—like ChatGPT—to successfully pass a properly performed online IDV check. Fraudsters are getting smarter indeed, but so are IDV technologies.   

These are just the essentials. Regula Document Reader SDK paired with Regula Face SDK include even more advanced ID and biometric checks. Want to learn how they work? Let’s discuss it during a call.