Don't buy or submit a police report, DNA result, affidavit, court filing, or witness video that a website offers to create for you. An official-looking file can still be fabricated, and knowingly using a made-to-order record as genuine can turn a consumer scam into a legal problem.

This guidance is for U.S. consumers. Federal Rule of Evidence 901 applies in federal court, while state courts may use different rules and procedures. This is general information, not legal advice.

What websites selling fake evidence offer

These websites sell or promote material designed to look like genuine proof. Offers may include:

A legitimate service might help you complete a blank form, request an existing public record, or organize evidence you already have. That is different from creating facts, changing an official record, or promising a document that will pass as genuine.

Sellers may reach consumers through search results, social media, email, text messages, or private messaging apps. A polished website, copied government logo, or favorable-looking review doesn't verify the business or the document.

Red flags that a site is selling fake evidence

Pause when you see one of these signs. Several together are a strong reason to leave the site and verify the claim independently.

Red flag Why it matters Safer response
The seller promises an "undetectable" or "court-ready" document No seller can guarantee that a judge, agency, or examiner will accept a document as authentic Don't place an order
The seller will make an "official" record but won't identify the issuing office or explain how the record was obtained A genuine record should have an identifiable source and a way to verify it Contact the claimed issuing agency directly
The seller uses urgency, secrecy, or threats about losing a case Pressure discourages checking the claim before you pay or share information End the conversation and save the messages
Payment is requested by cryptocurrency, gift card, wire, or an unusual P2P route These payments can be difficult to reverse after the money reaches the scammer Ask your bank or payment provider about safer options, or walk away
The site displays an agency logo but no independently verifiable office, case number, or records process Branding and seals can be copied quickly Find contact details through the agency's official website
The seller sends only a screenshot or preview A screenshot leaves out the original file, source, and surrounding context Ask the supposed issuer to verify the record instead
The seller asks you to use a false name, backdate a record, or hide the purchase Those instructions point to deception rather than document assistance Stop communicating and don't send more information
The site says a detector, notary stamp, or special watermark guarantees acceptance None of those features proves that the underlying facts are true Treat the statement as marketing, not authentication

Don't order a small sample to test the seller. You could expose your identity, payment details, or personal records, and the transaction may help show that you knowingly participated.

How to verify a suspicious document

Start with the organization that supposedly issued the record, not with the seller. Find the agency, court, laboratory, or other issuer through an independent search. Don't use the phone number printed on the suspicious document or click a verification link sent by the seller.

Police reports

Find the police department or sheriff's office through its official website. Ask the records unit whether it can verify details such as the report number, date, issuing office, or other identifying information.

Access may be limited by privacy rules or an active investigation. An agency's refusal or inability to release a copy doesn't automatically prove that the document is fake. Ask what information it can confirm and how an authorized person can request records.

Court documents

Use the court's official website, clerk's office, or published records process to check the case number, filing date, court location, and document description. A legitimate filing may be sealed or restricted, but the clerk can explain the proper way to request confirmation.

A document that resembles a pleading, order, subpoena, or deed isn't proof that it was filed. The court's own records and the document's source and handling history matter more than its formatting.

DNA and forensic reports

Contact the laboratory directly using contact details found through an independent search. Ask whether the report number, date, signatory, and format correspond to its records. The laboratory may limit what it can disclose for privacy or other reasons.

Don't send a suspicious seller additional genetic information or identity documents to "correct" a report. That can give the seller more sensitive information without making the report legitimate.

Affidavits and witness statements

Confirm the signer's identity through a separate, trusted channel. If the document includes notarization, verify the notary details where that information is available. A notary generally confirms a signing or acknowledgment process, not the truth of every statement in the document.

If the alleged signer denies signing the statement, or the supposed issuer cannot confirm its source, don't submit it while you try to resolve the dispute.

What authenticates evidence in court?

In federal court, Federal Rule of Evidence 901 requires evidence sufficient to support a finding that an item is what its proponent claims it is. The rule gives examples, including testimony from a witness with knowledge, but the foundation depends on the type of evidence.

For a digital file, relevant questions may include:

Formatting, a logo, or a case number by itself doesn't answer those questions. Provenance and handling history can help establish what an item is, but authentication isn't the same as proving that every statement in it is true. An authenticated item can still be challenged on grounds such as relevance, reliability, hearsay, or completeness.

State evidence rules and court procedures can differ. If a suspicious item may be used in a lawsuit, criminal case, custody dispute, insurance claim, or administrative proceeding, consult a licensed attorney in the relevant jurisdiction before submitting it.

How to assess AI-generated photos, audio, and video

The FBI's artificial intelligence guidance identifies possible clues in manipulated media, including distorted or blurred facial features, unnatural movement, and blinking that doesn't fit the person's expression or speech.

Those clues are screening tools, not proof. Poor lighting, compression, or audio delay can affect an ordinary recording, and a convincing deepfake may not show an obvious defect. An automated detector can also be wrong, so one scan shouldn't settle a dispute.

Use several checks:

  1. Save the file in the form you received it and keep the original unchanged.
  2. Look for the earliest available version and compare it with material from a known, independent source.
  3. Check whether the voice, face, timing, background, and surrounding events are consistent.
  4. Verify an alleged speaker through a separate phone number or in-person contact.
  5. Record who supplied the file, when you received it, and how it was stored.
  6. Ask a qualified digital-forensics professional to examine it if the stakes justify the cost.

Don't upload sensitive recordings or identity documents to an unknown "free detector." The upload may expose private information or create another copy that you can't control.

What does not prove that evidence is genuine?

The following details may be relevant, but none replaces independent confirmation of the source and handling history:

If you paid an evidence scammer

Act quickly, but don't send another payment to unlock a refund, remove your name from a report, or fix the first transaction. A second payment won't make the original document legitimate.

  1. Stop communicating and preserve records. Save emails, messages, invoices, payment receipts, usernames, phone numbers, website addresses, files, and promises made by the seller. Don't alter the original files.
  2. Contact the payment provider immediately. For a debit-card payment, the FTC advises contacting your bank or credit union right away. If you paid with a gift card, contact the gift-card issuer immediately. For cryptocurrency, contact the exchange or service you used and ask whether it can flag or restrict the transaction. Contact the provider promptly for a wire, credit-card, or P2P payment too, and ask what fraud, dispute, or recovery process is available.
  3. Secure exposed accounts and information. Change reused passwords. If you shared account credentials, identity information, or confidential records, notify the relevant bank, employer, laboratory, or agency.
  4. Report the fraud. Submit a consumer report to the FTC and an internet-crime report through the FBI's IC3 complaint form. IC3 collects reports of cyber-enabled crime, but it says it can't respond directly to every submission.
  5. Use official web addresses. The FBI has warned about AI-generated videos impersonating FBI personnel and spoofed IC3 pages. Type ic3.gov into your browser or use a saved official bookmark instead of trusting a link sent by a stranger.
  6. Contact local law enforcement when appropriate. Do so if you face threats, identity theft, extortion, stalking, or an immediate safety concern.

A report may help investigators identify a pattern, but it doesn't guarantee a refund or a personal response.

Legal risks of buying or using forged evidence

Knowingly buying, altering, or submitting a false record can expose someone to criminal or civil consequences. Depending on what happened and the jurisdiction, possible issues may include fraud, forgery, perjury, obstruction, or evidence-tampering offenses. Penalties depend on the facts, the purpose of the document, where the conduct occurred, and whether the material was used in a formal proceeding.

A disclaimer such as "for entertainment only" won't necessarily protect someone who bought a document intending to present it as real. Not creating the file yourself also doesn't eliminate the risk of knowingly using it.

If you already gave the document to a court, police department, insurer, employer, opposing party, or government agency, don't delete messages or destroy files. Preserve the material and seek prompt advice from a licensed attorney. If you only received a suspicious file and want to report it, keep the surrounding messages and other context so investigators can distinguish receipt from knowing use.

Is there an official list of evidence scam websites?

There usually isn't one permanent, exhaustive list. Domains, payment accounts, and social-media profiles can change quickly, and a site may disappear before a warning is published. Search results and review platforms may help identify complaints, but they aren't official proof that a particular document is genuine or fraudulent.

Before paying or submitting anything, verify the claimed issuer through contact details you found independently. If the source can't be confirmed, don't use the record; preserve it and get qualified help before it affects a legal, insurance, employment, or financial decision.