Scientists create a computer tool that scans for tell-tale signs of lying

Scientists have developed a computer tool that can spot if somebody has filed a fake police statement - based purely on text included in the document. The tool has been rolled out across Spain to support police officers and indicate where further investigations are necessary. And, so far, it has been able to successfully identify false robbery reports with over 80 per cent accuracy. Known as VeriPol, the tool is specific to reports of robbery and can recognise patterns that are more common with false claims, such as the types of items reported stolen, finer details of incidents and descriptions of a perpetrator. The research team, which included computer science experts from Cardiff University and Charles III University of Madrid, believe the tool could save the police time and effort by complementing traditional investigative techniques, whilst also deterring people from filing fake statements in the first place.