Verifying collateral and site inspection photos for lenders

Lenders increasingly accept photos instead of a site visit: equipment on a lot, a vehicle's odometer, a building's condition, a crop in the field. That saves time on both sides. It also invites old photos, someone else's photos, or AI-edited ones. A photo check doesn't replace judgment, but it tells you quickly what the file itself supports.

What lenders usually want to know

• Was this photo taken recently, around the date the borrower says?
• Was it taken with a camera, or made or changed by an AI tool?
• Has it been altered or processed since it was taken?

What the file can show

• Camera metadata, such as make, model and capture time, is consistent with a camera capture on that date. It is helpful, but software can write or change it, so treat it as support rather than proof.
• Signed Content Credentials, when present, are strong evidence of how the file was made. Some AI tools sign their output as AI-generated; some newer phones and cameras sign their photos.
• Signs of processing, such as recompression or resizing, show the file was handled after capture. That's common and usually innocent: emailing or texting a photo does it.

What the file can't show

• That the equipment in the picture is the borrower's, or is at the stated location, unless the file records location and you can match it.
• That a photo with no metadata is fake. Many apps strip metadata.
• That no AI was involved, when no AI record is present. The honest answer there is "unknown".

Collect photos in a way that holds up

1. Send the borrower a request link instead of asking for photos by email or text. With a PIT secure request link, the borrower uploads or takes the photos on their phone, the link expires, and the report notes how each photo arrived.
2. Ask for specific shots: the serial plate, the odometer, a wide view showing surroundings.
3. Keep the report with the loan file so an examiner or auditor can see what the photos showed when you received them. Each signed report includes the photo's hash and can be checked later.

How PIT answers

PIT gives four separate answers, Creation, Alteration / Processing, Origin and Integrity, each with its evidence and limits. There is no single "real" score, and missing evidence is never treated as proof either way.

FAQ

Can PIT confirm the location of collateral?

PIT reports what the file records. It does not confirm that a location is accurate, and many apps strip location data.

Does this replace a site inspection?

No. It helps you decide which files are routine and which deserve a closer look or a visit.