What does a Character Manipulation alert mean?

A Character Manipulation alert appears when the system detects unusual text formatting or symbols that may have been used to disguise or alter content. These alerts help identify cases where the structure of a document has been intentionally changed to try to avoid detection by plagiarism software.

This might include techniques such as:

• Replacing regular letters with similar-looking characters from another alphabet (for example, using a Cyrillic "a" instead of a Latin "a")
• Adding invisible characters or spaces that are not visible when reading normally
• Hiding parts of the text using colour or formatting tricks

Viper's detection system highlights these patterns so that you can review the document manually. An alert doesn't automatically mean cheating has taken place - it simply indicates that the text contains irregular formatting which may need further checking.

These alerts are designed to protect academic integrity and support fair use of the system. If you see one, we recommend reviewing the affected section carefully to ensure the content is genuine and has not been altered.