A resident moves in after everything they submitted with their application appeared to be legitimate. But then they never pay rent. When you go back to investigate, you discover their pay stubs were fake and they'd been using another person's Social Security number to make their credit look better.

If you're a property manager, you've likely gone through an experience like this or something similar, probably more than once. Online tools have made it easier than ever for applicants to create convincing fake documents, while people share techniques through social media and forums. What used to require specialized skills now takes basic photo editing knowledge.

Snappt vs. ApproveShield (and adding Findigs to the mix)

When property managers start looking for fraud protection, two names come up often: Snappt and ApproveShield.

Snappt is a document fraud detection tool—it plugs into your existing application process to flag suspicious uploads. ApproveShield offers full-service screening, but it leans heavily on manual reviews. That means slower turnaround times (often days) and extra work for your team, like re-entering data across systems.

Both solutions aim to reduce fraud, but they take very different approaches—and there’s a third worth considering.

While you’re comparing Snappt and ApproveShield, it’s worth looking at Findigs (that’s us). We offer end-to-end screening with built-in fraud protection, automated document and ID verification, and approve/decline decisions often delivered the same day—all without adding to your team’s workload.

We're Findigs, and we think our approach has a ton to offer you, especially if you’re a property manager with more than 1,000 units. But we also believe in giving you the full picture - including what our competitors do well and when they might be the better choice for your specific situation. This comparison will help you understand how each platform handles fraud detection, what the day-to-day operations look like, and which approach might work best for your property management operation.

Platform overview

Snappt: Document fraud detection add-on

Snappt specializes in catching forged documents and fake IDs. The platform analyzes pay stubs, bank statements, and identification documents for signs of tampering. While it works alongside property management systems, it operates as a separate platform that requires applicants to use an additional link and staff to check results in a different system.

How it works: Applicants complete your standard application, then receive a separate link to upload documents for Snappt's analysis. Your team reviews both the original application and Snappt's fraud findings.

Primary focus: Document verification and ID fraud detection

ApproveShield: Full-service screening with manual verification

ApproveShield handles comprehensive tenant screening including credit, criminal, and rental history checks, with a manual verification processes that ApproveShield runs. They position themselves as taking over the entire screening function for property managers.

How it works: ApproveShield processes applications through their screening system, though the exact workflow varies by property management software integration. With some property management systems like MRI and Appfolio, ApproveShield requires applicants to fill out a separate application, and teams must do duplicate data entry back into the PMS. The ApproveShield team manually reviews and verifies information before providing recommendations.

Primary focus: Manual verification and comprehensive screening with human oversight

Findigs: Comprehensive screening with built-in fraud protection

Findigs builds fraud protection into its complete tenant screening process, using both technology and human oversight (specifically, specialists on the Findigs team) when intervention is necessary. The platform checks for fraud signals across the complete application rather than examining isolated documents.

How it works: Applicants complete one application with bank linking, identity verification, and document submission. Findigs processes everything and provides approve/decline recommendations that flow directly into your property management system, often within 24 hours.

Primary focus: Taking screening responsibilities off your team’s shoulders while providing built-in fraud protection

How the workflows compare

Snappt: Adding fraud detection to your current process

Snappt adds fraud detection for documents and IDs onto your existing screening process. The platform functions as an add-on tool that requires applicants to separately submit income and ID documents for verification, rather than replacing your existing application process.

With Snappt:

• Applicants complete your standard application
• They receive a separate link to submit documents for fraud analysis
• Your team reviews both the original application and Snappt's findings
• Your staff handles follow-up on any fraud flags

ApproveShield: Manual verification with longer timelines

ApproveShield relies heavily on human verification rather than automated technology. The platform uses dedicated staff to manually review and verify application information. This approach creates some operational challenges:

• Decisions typically take three to five days to reach applicants
• Integration varies by property management system, with some requiring duplicate data entry

While thorough, this human-centric approach lacks in speed and cost efficiency. Additionally, manual verification has limitations when it comes to sophisticated fraud schemes that technology is better positioned to detect, such as synthetic identity fraud or behavioral patterns that might indicate fraudulent activity.

Findigs: Single application with built-in fraud protection

Findigs consolidates everything into one process while handling fraud detection throughout. "We're doing all the fraud detection, the applicant experience in one go. So there's no disjointed process for the applicant," Lynch explains.

The integrated approach means:

• One application for everything
• Fraud detection happens across the entire application, not just documents
• Your team receives clear approve/decline recommendations
• No additional platforms for your team to manage

Fraud detection approaches

Document fraud: bank statements, paystubs, and offer letters

All three platforms can catch basic document fraud like altered pay stubs or fake bank statements with a high degree of accuracy. Most document analysis software can track metadata information that reveals suspicious activity - like when a document was downloaded from a site selling fake pay stubs just minutes before being submitted. These fraud attempts are likely to be flagged in a similar fashion regardless of which solution you’re on.

However, the solutions do take a different approach to offer letters as income documentation, which unlike bank statements and pay stubs, are not standardized and therefore more difficult to verify: 

• Snappt doesn't accept offer letters at all, citing concerns about fabrication and the fact that employers can retract offers before start dates (all valid concerns). But this creates challenges for honest applicants who have recently changed jobs or received promotions and don't yet have pay stubs from their new position.
• ApproveShield does accept offer letters but requires manual verification by contacting employers directly - a process that contributes to their 3-5 day timeline and higher costs.
• Findigs takes a rules-based approach with offer letters, using predefined criteria to determine verification steps. "If something looks off, then we'll actually do that direct outreach to the employer and get that firsthand verification from that employer to make sure that that is actually a legitimate offer letter or not," Lynch explains. The structured approach allows them to maintain fraud protection while processing decisions faster.

Overall, Findigs is the only platform that focuses on holistic fraud detection beyond just whether an applicant’s bank statements look fake, or their paystubs have an issue: "We're looking at behavioral signals and we're looking at the applicant as a whole, not just a document,” says Lynch.

Identity fraud: who’s really applying?

Identity fraud presents the biggest challenge for property managers because it's both sophisticated and costly. As Lynch puts it, "The really important type of fraud is ID fraud" - when someone uses a stolen or fake identity, it becomes nearly impossible to hold them accountable. 

Snappt's approach 

Snappt focuses on ID document authentication, performing 30+ security checks on government-issued IDs and using biometric matching to confirm the person applying matches their photo. Their system delivers verification results in under 60 seconds and can detect tampered documents effectively.

ApproveShield's limitations 

ApproveShield's manual approach has limitations when it comes to sophisticated identity schemes. "It's not going to be strong against really sophisticated types of fraud, especially identity fraud," Lynch notes. Manual verification can catch obvious discrepancies but struggles with synthetic identities or subtle inconsistencies that technology is better positioned to detect.

Findigs' comprehensive method 

Findigs looks at patterns across the entire application rather than just verifying individual documents. We use device attestation to block burner phones and fake IP addresses, behavioral AI to analyze user interaction patterns, and cross-reference application data across multiple sources. 

This holistic approach helps catch synthetic identity fraud - where someone combines real and fake information to create a new identity - which manual processes and document-only verification often miss.

Operational considerations

Time and efficiency

Time matters when you're trying to fill vacant units. Here's how each platform handles speed:

• Snappt: Provides immediate fraud flags but still requires your team to investigate and act. The separate link process can also create confusion - applicants sometimes reply to emails with documents instead of using the verification link, requiring staff to redirect them back to the correct process.
• ApproveShield: Manual process creates the longest delays with 3-5 day turnaround for decisions.
• Findigs: Delivers most decisions within 24 hours by handling the entire screening process for you, including any follow-up needed for fraud resolution or document clarification.

Platform management

Managing multiple systems creates its own challenges, with property management teams often juggling dozens of different software logins daily.

Each platform handles this differently:

• Snappt: Adds another login and training requirement for your team to manage alongside existing systems.
• ApproveShield: Creates workflow fragmentation, especially with certain property management systems. "With MRI and Appfolio it's a separate application that applicant has to fill out and then their teams have to do duplicate entry back into their PMS," Lynch notes.
• Findigs: Integrates directly with your property management system, with results flowing automatically into your existing workflow without requiring additional logins or platforms for staff to manage.

Responsibility and liability

Who handles problems when they arise varies between platforms.

With Snappt, your team still owns the decision-making process. "Their teams still have to deal with these fraud warnings," Lynch points out. "Most of the time they're just getting fraud flags and their team has to take that and then do something with that."

ApproveShield and Findigs both take on decision-making responsibility. "The one thing that people do like about ApproveShield that we also have too is assuming liability for fraud that gets through," Lynch notes. "If we decline somebody based on fraud and they didn't actually submit fraud, then any applicant concerns or complaints would be directed to us rather than the property manager."

What works well for each platform

Snappt's strengths

• Quick implementation as an add-on
• Effective at catching standardized document fraud (bank statements, ID, paystubs)
• Cost-effective for basic fraud detection needs

ApproveShield's advantages

Beyond taking on liability, ApproveShield excels in certain verification areas. “One thing with ApproveShield that people really appreciate is their rental history verification," Lynch notes. "They'll actually call and reach out to landlords to get detailed information directly from the past landlord." 

How Findigs stands out

Findigs handles fraud detection as part of a comprehensive screening process that includes background checks and income verification. The platform combines several key advantages:

Complete integration: Unlike Snappt, there's no separate application experience for renters or additional login for staff. "We own the entire, once something's flagged as fraud to getting either to approve or decline, we own that flow," Lynch explains.

Accuracy with speed: The platform delivers the thoroughness of manual verification but with technology that provides most decisions within 24 hours rather than ApproveShield's 3-5 day timeline.

Full-service screening: Unlike Snappt, which only handles fraud detection, Findigs includes credit, criminal, and eviction reports as part of the same process. Property managers don't need to piece together fraud detection with separate background check services.

Complete fraud resolution: When fraud is detected, Findigs handles the entire follow-up process internally. "Our team or our tech is sending notices and warnings for that applicant to submit the new documentation," Lynch explains. "There's never a time where we're going to be like, 'Hey property manager, this looks fraudulent, we don't know what to do with it, can you take this over?'"

Security concerns and evolving fraud

Fraud methods keep evolving, and each platform faces different vulnerabilities. Lynch notes that there are social media groups and online forums dedicated to sharing techniques for circumventing certain fraud detection systems, with people even selling documents designed to bypass specific platforms.

Document-focused approaches can be circumvented when people committing fraud know exactly what to avoid. Meanwhile, manual verification processes may catch discrepancies through investigative work but struggle with sophisticated schemes like synthetic identity fraud that require advanced technology to detect.

"Because we have the application in one cohesive experience for both the applicant and on the back end, we're able to catch discrepancies that are going to pop up more likely in ours than they will if you're submitting an ID and paystub through a separate system on the side,” says Lynch.

The sophistication of fraud attempts continues to increase. Lynch points to identity fraud as particularly concerning because when someone uses a fake or stolen identity, property managers can't hold them accountable: "That's the most sophisticated type of fraud and if you can't identify who that person really is, you can't pursue collections or take legal action against them."

Pricing and value considerations 

Pricing varies between each solution:

• $: Snappt positions itself as cost-effective for fraud detection as a standalone solution
• $$: Findigs pricing reflects the comprehensive scope of tenant screening services
• $$$: ApproveShield typically costs 10%-30% more than alternatives due to reliance on manual review

The true cost calculation should include operational impact beyond the platform fees. ApproveShield's longer timelines could affect vacancy rates, while Snappt's additional workflow requirements mean ongoing staff time investment.

With Findigs, the ROI calculation includes several factors: team time savings that can be repurposed elsewhere, reduced bad debt from better fraud detection, and occupancy improvements from faster decisions. Even a few percentage points of increased occupancy throughout the year can translate to significant revenue gains that often offset the comprehensive screening investment.

Making the right choice

Your decision depends on what you're really trying to solve:

Consider Snappt if:

• You want to add fraud detection without changing your current process
• Document fraud is your main concern
• You have staff capacity to investigate fraud flags
• Budget is the primary constraint

Consider ApproveShield if:

• You want comprehensive screening with human verification
• Rental history verification is of top importance to you
• You don't mind longer processing times
• You're willing to pay premium pricing for manual verification

Consider Findigs if:

• You want fraud protection built into comprehensive screening
• Your team is already stretched with screening tasks
• You're dealing with sophisticated fraud beyond just document issues (as is becoming more common everywhere)
• Your team is dealing with too many logins
• You want screening work taken off your team's plate entirely to free them up for higher value activities like sales

Solve for fraud, build stronger communities

Findigs brings together what works from its competitor solutions: the comprehensive screening you get with ApproveShield, but faster. The advanced fraud detection you need, but built into one complete system instead of bolted on (as is the case with Snappt). And something neither platform offers: fraud protection that looks at the whole picture - not just whether a document looks fake, but whether everything about an application adds up.

When you integrate identity verification, income analysis, and background checks into one workflow, you catch fraud that slips through document-only systems. Your team gets clear approve/decline recommendations instead of fraud flags to investigate. And applicants get faster answers because there's no waiting for manual review or bouncing between different platforms.

The right choice depends on an honest assessment of your team's capacity and what you're trying to accomplish beyond just catching fraud. Because while fraud protection matters, so does operational efficiency, staff time, and the overall experience for both your team and your applicants.

Ready to see how comprehensive screening with built-in fraud protection can work for your properties? Book a demo to learn more about Findigs' approach to taking screening work off your team's plate.