Forensic Document Analysis

• A questioned document is any written or typewritten mark with a disputed or unknown source.
• Document analysis involves examining forensic documents for forgeries and counterfeits.
• Job duties of a forensic document examiner include checking for forgeries, analyzing handwriting, examining origins of typed documents, piecing together damaged documents, determining when a document was made, examining indented handwriting, and identifying alterations.
• Tools commonly used for forensic document analysis include microscopes, magnifying lenses, ink identifiers, databases like FISH, the International Ink Library, handheld lenses, illuminated magnifiers, infrared spectroscopes, electrostatic detection devices, video spectral comparators, and chromatography equipment.

Federal Agencies with Questioned Document Units

• The FBI
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• The Secret Service
• The Army Crime Lab
• The International Revenue Service
• The USPS
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms

FISH (Forensic Information System for Handwriting)

• A forensic database of digitized text writings
• It assists in finding matches between writings.
• The US Secret Service Forensic Lab maintains the FISH database

The International Ink Library

• Pen and ink manufacturers submit their new ink formulations.

Famous Cases Involving Questioned Documents

• Lindbergh Kidnapping: Analysis of a ransom note led to the conviction of the perpetrator, who was found to have left 13 similar notes.
• Ramsey Case: A ransom note was found in the case of a kidnapped and murdered 6-year-old girl; handwriting analysis helped eliminate suspects.
• 9/11 Terrorist Attack: Forensic document examiners deciphered burned documents to identify the plane hijackers.
• BTK Killer (Dennis Rader): Handwriting analysis matched Rader to letters he sent, confirming his guilt.

Handwriting Analysis and Factors Influencing Handwriting

• Handwriting analysis can connect a person to multiple cases or eliminate suspects.
• Major factors influencing handwriting include hand size, muscular makeup, education, and personal style.
• The three main principles include:
  • No two writers have identical handwriting with enough samples.
  • The same person's writing can vary.
  • People can't write beyond their skill level.
• The 12 major characteristics include: line quality, letter spacing, size consistency, connected letters, continuous writing, complete letters, cursive/printed letters, pen pressure, slant, line habits, fancy curls, and T crosses/I dots.

Exemplars

• Writings from before an investigation (diary entries, checks)
• Writings created for the investigation under controlled conditions.
• Possible conclusions include identification, elimination, inconclusive, and qualified.
• Qualified conclusions fall between identification and elimination.
• Initial document analysis tools include the eye, handheld lens, or microscope/illuminated magnifier.
• An Electrostatic Detection Device (EDD) reveals text from indented impressions. A Video Spectral Comparator (VSC) detects alterations, obliterations, erasures, and page substitutions.
• Chromatography separates individual dye components.

Biometric Signature Pads

• They record how a signature is made, tracking speed, rhythm, and pressure.
• Cross-cut shredders are best for confidential documents.
• Graphology is the study of handwriting to analyze personality.
• Forgery is the attempt to make a document seem official to deceive.
• Fraudulence is getting something for committing forgery.

Forgery Cases involve

• The document expert determines intent
• The judge or jury decides if forgery was committed

Common situations

• Passing fraudulent checks
• Selling counterfeit money
• Buying fake tickets

Famous Forgers and Fraud in Memorabilia

• Jean Baptiste Corot is the most faked artist.
• Auction sites increase fraud in autographed sports memorabilia due to lack of physical inspection.
• 70-90% of autographed sports memorabilia may be fake.

Making Fraudulent Documents Look Real

• Use old materials (paper, ink)
• Employ period-specific writing styles
• Chemically age materials
• Use watermarks.

Methods of Forgery

• Freehand: Copying something without knowing its appearance.
• Simulation: Imitating writing.
• Tracing: Copying by tracing.
• Disguised: Altering writing to be untraceable.
• Alteration: Changing existing writing.

Document Alterations

Document alterations include:

• Erasing
• Obliterating by burning or chemicals
• Altering writing
• Overwriting.
• Counterfeiting is producing something that looks like something else, such as money or art.
• The Secret Service was created to suppress counterfeit money and now protects the President.
• Counterfeiting US currency carries a punishment of up to 15 years in prison.

Security Features on Currency

Security features include:

• Plastic strips that glow under UV light
• Color variations
• Paper currency contains fiber instead of starch.
• Iodine pens turn counterfeit paper blue-black.
• Criminals bleach paper and print higher money counts on it.
• George Washington is on the $1 bill.
• Abraham Lincoln is on the $5 bill.
• Alexander Hamilton appears on the $10 bill.
• Andrew Jackson is on the $20 bill.
• Common documents forged or counterfeited include: contracts, checks, wills, birth certificates, passports, money, lottery tickets, and ransom notes.