Understanding Forgery and Detection Techniques

Forgery

Forgery is defined as the unlawful changing, copying, or imitation of documents, signatures, banknotes, art, or other articles for deceptive purposes.

Personal Forgery

Creating a signature that is not one's own or altering figures/words (e.g., signing someone else's name).

Industrial Forgery

Creating copies of luxury products with cheaper materials (e.g., fake designer bags).

Forgery on Metal

Altering identification marks on items like cars or guns (e.g., changing serial numbers on stolen bikes).

Art Forgery

Selling work as if it's from a famous artist when it's not (e.g., a fake Picasso painting).

Occasions for Handwriting Experts

Handwriting experts are typically called in for cases of suspected signature forgery and for document authentication, such as in legal cases or insurance claims.

Characteristics in Handwriting Analysis

Experts look at letter formation, spacing, baseline alignment, size, curve styles, slant/slope, and connecting strokes when comparing handwriting samples.

Right or Left-Handedness

A handwriting expert can determine this based on the pressure patterns and slant of the letters, as left-handed individuals often apply different pressure and angles compared to right-handed writers.

Spaces Comparison

Examining the distance between letters or words.

Top-of-Letter Comparison

Observing the upper portions of letters to see if they align consistently.

Bottom-of-Letter Comparison

Looking at the baseline or bottom alignment.

Slope Comparison

Analyzing the angle or tilt of the letters.

Comparing Handwriting Samples

You would need to apply spaces, top-of-letter, bottom-of-letter, and slope comparison to check for consistency between samples and detect forgeries.

Paper Indentations in Fraud Detection

Indentations can reveal whether a document has been altered or manipulated by showing faint impressions of previous writing.

Electrostatic Imaging

This method reveals indentations by charging the document and covering it with powder, which clings to indented areas to show hidden text.

Revealing Messages with Pencil Shading

Lightly shading over paper with a pencil can reveal hidden messages by highlighting indentations.

Chromatography

Chromatography is the physical separation of a mixture into its components.

Chromatography in Forgery Detection

This technique can detect different ink types by separating their dyes, useful in identifying alterations made with different inks.

Chromatography Activity

Separate ink types to observe different dye components, potentially indicating forgery if multiple inks are detected.

Art Forgery Detection Techniques

Non-Invasive: Provenance research, infrared and UV reflectography, X-ray, and microscopy. Invasive: Mass spectrometry, requiring a sample of the artwork to analyze its materials.

Security Features in Australian Dollar Notes

Made of polymer, includes a top-to-bottom window, holographic bird and building, microprinting, unique portrait patterns, and UV-reactive elements.