Bertino Forensic Chapter 10 Handwriting Analysis-

Counterfeiting

forging of currency; forging of other government-issued documents such as stamps; producing fake name-brand products for profit

Forgery

The making, altering, or falsifying of any writing with intention of deception

Fraudulence

when an illegal or unfair financial gain accompanies a deception

Characteristics of handwriting

Remember the following 12: line quality; spacing; size consistency, continuous, connecting letters; letters complete; cursive and printed letters; pen pressure; slant; line habits; fancy curls or loops; placement of crosses on t's and dots on i's.

Line Quality

Do the letters flow or are they erratic and shaky?

Spacing

Are the letters equally spaced or crowded?

size consistency

Is the ratio of height to width consistent?

Continuous

Is the writing continuous or does the writer lift the pen?

connecting letters

Are uppercase and lowercase letters connected and continuous?

Letter complete

Are letters completely formed? Or is part of the letter missing?

Cursive and printed letters

Are there printed letters, cursive letters, or both

pen pressure

Is pressure equal when applied to upward and downward strokes?

Slant

Left, right, or variable

Line habits

Is the text on the line, above the line, or below the line?

Fancy curls or loops

Are there fancy curls? yes or no

placement of crosses on t's and dots on i's

Correct or misplaced? Are t's crossed, crossed in the middle, toward the top, or toward the bottom? Are i's dotted, dotted toward the the right, left or centered?

Document expert

Specially trained person who scientifically analyzes handwriting and other features in a document.

Questioned documents

Any signature, handwriting, typewriting, or other written mark whose source or authenticity is in dispute of uncertain

Paper chromatography

A method of physically separating the components of inks

Technology of handwriting analysis

Initial comparisons of documents are done with the unaided eye, a hand held lens, or a microscope. Faster and more objective analysis is available such as infrared spectroscope; biometric signature pads; and computerized analysis

Signature

your name written in your own handwriting

How to prevent Check Forgery

@Print checks on chemically sensitive paper

@Use a large font size that requires more ink and makes alterations more difficult

@Use high resolution borders on the checks that are difficult to copy

@Print checks in multiple color patterns

@Embed fibers in checks that glow under different types of light

@Use chemical-wash detection systems that change color when a check is altered

Handwriting Analysis

Examination of questioned documents compared with exemplars to establish the authenticity and /or authorship of the documents.

Exemplar

a standard document of known origin and authorship used in handwriting analysis. Control as many variables as possible when requesting an exemplar to compare with a questioned item. For example, try to supply the same paper type, writing implement, and ink type, requesting the same letters and numbers, and dictate similar passage to the writer.

portrait on a $1 dollar United States currency

George Washington

portrait on a $2 dollar United States currency

Thomas Jefferson

portrait on a $ 5 dollar United States currency

Abraham Lincoln

portrait on a $ 10 dollar United States currency

Alexandar Hamilton

portrait on a $ 20 dollar United States currency

Andrew Jackson

portrait on a $ 50 dollar United States currency

Ulysses Grant

portrait on a $ 100 dollar United States currency

Benjamin Franklin