Forensic check

HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN

Q: What does HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN mean?

HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN is a named finding in an HTPBE result: a scan origin that does not hold up. It is returned in the modification_markers list of a modified result and belongs to the Image Forensics group of checks.

HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN appears on 0.8% of modified results in our corpus. A marker is evidence about the file, not a judgement about the person who sent it.

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Marker profile

Image Forensics

A scan origin that does not hold up.

Share of modified results

0.8%

Frequency rank

#26

Among the 56 markers seen in modified results

Certain confidence

13.3%

Of results with this marker rated certain rather than high

Fires alone

12.0%

Results where it is the only marker found

Marker profile

What HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN tells you

HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN is one of the named findings returned in modification_markers when a PDF is reported as modified. It belongs to the Image Forensics group of checks. These checks look at embedded images and scan-like pages for editing, re-saving or a capture origin that does not hold up.

On 12.0% of the modified results that carry HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN it is the only marker. A result with this marker carries 2.9 markers on average. It is most often found together with HTPBE_PHYSICAL_SCAN_GEOMETRY, on 80.7% of these results.

Example API response

How it appears in a result

When a PDF is reported as modified, HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN is listed in modification_markers next to the verdict and its confidence. Each marker is a named, actionable finding – not a score.

GET /api/v1/result/{id}

{
  "id": "9f3a2c1d-8b47-4e6f-a012-3d5e7f890123",
  "status": "modified",
  "modification_confidence": "high",
  "modification_markers": [
    "HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN"
  ],
  "creator": "Adobe Acrobat Pro DC",
  "has_incremental_updates": true,
  "page_count": 3
}

Full schema in the API reference →

Distributions

What ships alongside HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN

The tools, formats and document traits that appear on the modified results carrying this marker. Shares are of those results.

Common Producers

iLovePDF writes 22.9% of these results – and 2.8% of all modified results naming it carry this marker.

iLovePDF2.8% of its modified22.9%

iOS Print to PDF4.7% of its modified16.9%

Scanner Canon38.9% of its modified8.4%

Adobe Acrobat4.4% of its modified7.2%

PDFium1.3% of its modified3.6%

Pdftools SDK1.2% of its modified3.6%

Common Creators

Adobe Acrobat is the Creator on 7.2% of these results.

Adobe Acrobat4.6% of its modified7.2%

Scanner Canon33.3% of its modified7.2%

PDFium1.6% of its modified4.8%

Photos27.3% of its modified3.6%

Often found together with

HTPBE_PHYSICAL_SCAN_GEOMETRY sits next to HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN more often than any other marker.

HTPBE_PHYSICAL_SCAN_GEOMETRY80.7%

HTPBE_RENDERED_PSEUDO_SCAN39.8%

HTPBE_ONLINE_EDITOR_ORIGIN25.3%

HTPBE_DATES_DISAGREE13.3%

HTPBE_IDENTITY_BLANKED7.2%

HTPBE_TOOL_VS_STRUCTURE_MISMATCH6.0%

HTPBE_IMPOSSIBLE_TIMESTAMP4.8%

HTPBE_MULTIPLE_REVISION_LAYERS4.8%

Document origin

Scanned30.1%

Online editor25.3%

Consumer software21.7%

Unverifiable10.8%

Institutional8.4%

Unknown3.6%

Creator → Producer pairs

Adobe Acrobat → Adobe Acrobat7.2%

Scanner Canon → Scanner Canon7.2%

PDFium → PDFium3.6%

Photos → iOS Print to PDF3.6%

Detected origin software

iLovePDF22.9%

macOS / iOS (Quartz)18.1%

Confidence of the verdict

Certain13.3%

High86.7%

When these results were checked

May 202619.3%

June 202614.5%

July 202616.9%

August 202613.3%

September 20267.2%

October 202625.3%

November 20263.6%

Document length

1 page27.7%

2–5 pages59.0%

6–20 pages12.0%

21–100 pages1.2%

File size

Under 100 KB15.7%

100 KB – 1 MB55.4%

1 – 5 MB22.9%

Over 5 MB6.0%

PDF versions

PDF 1.738.6%

PDF 1.328.9%

PDF 1.412.0%

PDF 1.610.8%

PDF 1.56.0%

PDF 1.13.6%

Year the document says it was created

20213.6%

202656.6%

Long tail

Notable observations

Smaller cuts of the results carrying HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN – useful context, but treat each row as a single data point rather than a strong signal.

Digitally signed

Of files carry at least one digital signature

Saved revisions

4.8%

Of files contain earlier saved revisions

Embedded JavaScript

2.4%

Of files contain JavaScript code

Embedded files

2.4%

Of files have attachments inside

Avg pages per document

3.4

Markers per result

2.9

Average number of markers on these results

Related checks

Other Image Forensics checks

Checks from the same group. Each card links to its own reference page.

HTPBE_IMAGE_EDITED_AND_RESAVEDEmbedded image showing signs of having been edited and re-saved

Share of modified0.3%

HTPBE_COLLAPSED_TO_RASTERDocument content converted to images after creation

Share of modified0.4%

HTPBE_PHYSICAL_SCAN_GEOMETRYA page captured from a physical copy rather than the original file

Share of modified5.4%

Seen together80.7%

HTPBE_RENDERED_PSEUDO_SCANScan-like pages with signs of software rendering

Share of modified2.3%

Seen together39.8%

FAQ

HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN: common questions

What does HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN mean?

HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN is a named finding in an HTPBE? result: a scan origin that does not hold up. It is returned in the modification_markers list of a modified result and belongs to the Image Forensics group of checks.

Does HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN mean the document is fake?

No. A marker is evidence about the file, not a judgement about the person who sent it. It records that the file shows this pattern; it does not say why, and it does not assess what the document states. Read it together with the verdict and any other markers on the same result.

What should I do when a result contains HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN?

Ask the sender for the original file straight from the issuing system, or request a fresh copy from the issuer. Check whether the document went through a later step such as re-saving, merging or converting, and verify it with the issuer before relying on it for a decision.

How common is HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN?

HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN appears on 0.8% of the modified results in the HTPBE? corpus. The corpus consists of PDFs people chose to submit for checking, so it skews towards documents someone had a reason to doubt and is not a sample of all PDFs.

Where do I see HTPBE_FAKE_SCANNER_ORIGIN?

In the modification_markers list of the result returned by the HTPBE? API, and on the result page of a modified document. Other checks in the Image Forensics group are listed below on this page; all 63 checks are listed on the how-it-works page.

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