Free mini-course: five short steps in your browser
Verify a screenshot or fake document in 5 stepsthe claim and source, a pause, the original, file clues, and a dated record
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. A five-step routine for a screenshot, receipt, letter or document that is being used to prove something or to make you act. Progress stays in this browser.
No checker on this page can reliably tell a genuine screenshot or document from a fake. A TimeBind does not show that a screenshot or document is genuine. The steps are a routine, not a verdict on any one file.
Start the five steps
Each step is short and ends with one or two checks. Your progress is saved in this browser only. Nothing you choose is sent to TimeBinder. The course uses no real person’s messages, documents or images.
Your progress is saved in this browser only. Choices stay on this device and are not sent to TimeBinder or tied to your name.
Step 1 of 5. 0 of 5 complete.
Step 1. Name the claim, the image and the source
Fake screenshots usually arrive with a claim attached: a chat that “proves” someone said something, a payment screen that “proves” a buyer paid, a letter that “proves” you owe money, a certificate or an invoice. Before you look at fonts and pixels, write down the claim in one line (what is this being used to prove, and what are you being asked to do?) and note the source: who posted or sent it, on which platform or channel, and whether you can find the original. A screenshot can look perfect and still be edited or invented, and a messy one can still be real. Keep the image, the claim and the source apart.
Check 1. Match each part to what it means
Tap a part, then tap the meaning that fits it best.
Check 2. A screenshot of a chat is shared to “prove” someone said something
What is the best first move?
Step 2. Pause: do not trust how it looks, and do not be rushed
Anyone can make a screenshot, and apps and editing tools can produce fake chats, receipts and payment screens. AI image tools can also generate or alter text in an image. Odd fonts, misaligned text, a wrong time or a missing detail are clues worth noting, but they are not proof, because a careful fake can have none of them and a genuine screenshot can have several. Pressure is a clue of its own: “send the goods now, I already paid”, “pay this invoice today”, “share this before it is deleted”. The cheapest protection is to stop, do not release goods or money, do not share it as proven, and move to Step 3.
Check 1. Which statement is the honest one?
Check 2. The screenshot is cropped and shows no date or username
What does that tell you?
Step 3. Find the original or check with the source directly
Look for the original: the post, the message thread, the account, the web page or the document at the place it claims to come from. Search for the exact wording, and note whether the account, link or sender is who it claims to be. For money, check your own bank, payment or marketplace account, or the merchant’s own records, rather than the picture of a confirmation. For a letter, certificate or invoice, contact the issuer using a number or website you found yourself, not the contact details on the document. If the person in a chat screenshot is a private individual, think before sharing it further, and ask them directly if you reasonably can. If you cannot reach the source, say so, and wait.
Check 1. Which of these are sound verification moves?
Tick all that apply.
Check 2. A buyer sends a screenshot that says they paid you
What do you do before sending the goods?
Step 4. File clues: details, signatures and a known original
If you hold the actual file (an image, or a PDF or other document), some details can help: file details, an embedded digital signature that verifies, Content Credentials (C2PA) data where present, or a comparison with a known genuine original from the same issuer. All of these are clues and none is a verdict. Metadata is easy to edit or strip, and it can be lost when a file is re-saved, shared or screenshotted. An “edited” or “modified” date does not by itself mean fraud, because ordinary tools such as print-to-PDF change it, and a clean file can still be false. Online “fake detector” scores are not a verdict either, in either direction.
Check 1. A PDF’s details say it was last saved in an editing program
Check 2. What carries the most weight about a document or screenshot?
Step 5. Decide, report, and keep a dated record
Honest outcomes include “confirmed by the source”, “could not be confirmed, so I did not rely on it”, and “looks like fraud, reported”. If you already paid or released goods, contact your bank, platform or marketplace straight away and report it to your country’s fraud-reporting service. If you may need to show later what you received, keep the exact file you were sent (not only a forward or a re-screenshot), plus the link, sender details and your notes of what you checked. A TimeBind records that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time, and that a later copy still matches its SHA-256 fingerprint, anchored to Bitcoin. It does not show that a screenshot or document is genuine, who made it, or that its contents are true. First Pooled TimeBind is free, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
Check 1. What can a TimeBind show about a screenshot file?
Check 2. You could not confirm the screenshot. What now?
You have finished all five steps
Progress stays in this browser. You can revisit any step above. If you keep a screenshot or document you may need later, date the exact file you saved.
How do you verify a screenshot or a fake-looking document? The short answer
Work through five steps: write down the claim the screenshot is being used for and where it came from; pause, because a convincing screenshot is not proof; find the original or confirm with the issuer or your own account on a channel you found yourself; weigh any file clues (details, signatures, a known original) as clues only; then decide honestly, report it if it looks like fraud, and keep the exact file and your notes.
None of this tells you for certain whether an image or document is fake, and an online detector score is a clue at most. A TimeBind of the exact file you were sent can show that it existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It does not show that the screenshot is genuine or who made it.
Why this course, in November 2026
Search suggestions checked on 13 November 2026 return full sets for “how to tell if a screenshot is fake”, including variants for text, chat-app and payment screenshots, and for “how to tell if a document is fake” and “how to tell if a receipt is fake”. Suggestion lists show what people type, not how many of them type it, and we have not measured volumes beyond that. None of this says that a screenshot can be settled by looking at it.
This is the fourth course in the series. The first, Spot AI fakes in 5 short lessons, is a general introduction. The second, Verify a viral video in 5 steps, is a workflow for a single clip. The third, Check a suspicious voice message in 5 steps, covers voice messages and calls. This one covers screenshots and documents. A fifth course, Verify an AI-generated photo of an event in 5 steps, covers photos of events. A sixth course, Verify a viral news clip in 5 steps, covers news-style clips. A seventh course, Verify a leaked-looking chat or email screenshot in 5 steps, covers leaked-looking chat and email screenshots. An eighth course, Verify a fake product review or testimonial in 5 steps, covers product reviews and testimonials. A ninth course, Verify an AI-generated receipt or invoice in 5 steps, covers AI-generated receipts and invoices, and a tenth, Check a suspicious profile photo or dating profile in 5 steps, covers suspicious profile photos and dating profiles. An eleventh course, Verify an AI-edited rental or property listing photo in 5 steps, covers rental and property listing photos, and a twelfth, Check a suspicious celebrity or expert video ad in 5 steps, covers celebrity and expert video ads. A thirteenth course, Check a photo, video or audio file offered as evidence in 5 steps, covers photo, video or audio files offered as evidence, and a fourteenth, Check a suspicious video call or remote job interview in 5 steps, covers suspicious video calls and remote job interviews. A fifteenth, Check a suspicious website or login page in 5 steps, covers suspicious websites and login pages, and a sixteenth, Check a map or satellite image that may be AI-made or edited in 5 steps, covers maps and satellite images that may be AI-made or edited. All sixteen sit under the public guide to protecting yourself from AI forgeries.
What each step can show, and what it cannot
The honest job of this routine is to slow a snap judgement and leave you with notes you can show. See also synthetic media and existed no later than in the glossary.
| Step | What it can show | What it cannot show |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Claim and source | What the screenshot is being used to prove, and where it says it came from. | That the image is genuine. |
| 2. Pause | Whether pressure, secrecy or unusual payment demands are part of the pattern. | Whether an image was edited or generated. A convincing look proves nothing, and neither does an odd one. |
| 3. Find the original | Whether the original post, thread, page or account exists, or whether the issuer or your own account confirms it. | Anything, if the “source” contact details came from the suspicious document itself. |
| 4. File clues | What file details, a verifying signature, C2PA / Content Credentials data (if still present) or a known original suggest. | Truth or authorship. Missing or changed details settle nothing, and a detector score is not a verdict. |
| 5. Decide and keep | What you checked and found, and that an exact saved file existed no later than a recorded time, with a later copy still matching its SHA-256 fingerprint. | That the screenshot or document is genuine, who made it, or that its contents are true. |
If you may need to show what you received
If you were sent a screenshot or document and may need to explain it later (to a bank, a platform, an employer or a lawyer), a dated record of the exact file helps:
- Keep the exact file you were sent, not only a forward or a re-screenshot, together with the link, the sender details and your notes.
- Make a TimeBind of that file. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file stays on your device. You can later download a Proof of Time Certificate.
- Store the file, the certificate and your notes together. Use the file date and metadata inspector or the file-changed answer to compare a copy later.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15. A TimeBind does not show that a screenshot or document is genuine.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not. It shows that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, that its contents are true, or whether AI was used to make or edit it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Verify a screenshot or document: FAQ
Can this course tell me whether a screenshot or document is fake?
No. No checker on this page, and no tool on this site, can reliably tell a genuine screenshot or document from an edited or fabricated one. The steps help you check the claim and the source, and confirm with the issuer or the person on a channel you found yourself. “Could not confirm, so I did not rely on it” is a valid result.
Can I tell a fake screenshot by looking at the fonts and spacing?
Not reliably. Odd fonts or spacing are clues worth noting, but a careful fake can have none of them and a genuine screenshot can have several. Verify with something other than how the image looks, such as the original post or your own account.
Does missing or changed metadata prove a document was faked?
No. Metadata can be edited or stripped, and ordinary tools change it, so a modified date is a clue and not proof. Compare with a known original and ask the issuer.
Does a TimeBind show that a screenshot or document is genuine?
No. A TimeBind shows that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and that a later copy still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the file, that it is genuine, or that its contents are true.
Should I share a screenshot of someone else’s messages?
Think before you do. Messages can be private, and a screenshot you cannot confirm may be false. Where you reasonably can, ask the person directly, and check any rules that apply where you are.
Where is my progress saved?
In this browser only, using localStorage. Choices are not sent to TimeBinder and are not tied to your name. Clearing site data, or using another browser, starts the steps again.
Is the course free?
Yes. The five steps and the checks run in your browser at no charge. If you later make a TimeBind, the first Pooled TimeBind is free, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
Related guides and tools
- Spot AI fakes in 5 short lessonsThe first mini-course: labels, reverse image search, voice scams and more
- Verify a viral video in 5 stepsThe second mini-course: a workflow for a single clip
- Check a suspicious voice message in 5 stepsThe third mini-course: voice messages and calls
- How to protect yourself from AI forgeriesThe public AI-fakes guide this course sits beside
- How to prove a screenshot is realWhat can and cannot be shown about a screenshot
- How to tell if a PDF has been editedWhat a PDF can and cannot show
- Content Credentials checkerWhat a C2PA manifest can and cannot show
- GlossaryPlain definitions of C2PA, SHA-256 and existed no later than
Date the exact files you keep
Add a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes: a dated, checkable record of the exact file, kept while you still have it.
- Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
- Add your files. They stay on your computer.
- Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. See pricing.