Monday 19 September 2011 Topic: Forgery DO NOW: Brainstorm as many circumstances as you can in which someone might commit document fraud. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected. HW: Read the article about Digital Image Forensics and make a list of all the methods by which photo- doctoring can be detected. AGENDA: Document fraud brainstorm Forgery detection Create handwriting sample to analyze next class

Share Out With your elbow partner, take 2 min to discuss all the ideas you were able to brainstorm during the do now. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

Vocabulary! Forgery: 1. the crime of falsely making or altering a writing by which the legal rights or obligations of another person are apparently affected; simulated signing of another person's name to any such writing whether or not it is also the forger's name.forger's 2. the production of a spurious work that is claimed to be genuine, as a coin, a painting, or the like. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

Vocabulary! Fraud: 1. deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage. THUS… FORGERY is one type of FRAUD OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

Handwriting Analysis Expert in handwriting is a document examiner, who often testifies in court Most frequently requested type of document analysis By adulthood, a person’s handwriting is as exclusive as their speech OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

No Two the Same… Document examiner will look at the class characteristics and individual characteristics of the letters in the document in question ◦ Class characteristics = features and dimensions of the letters (e.g. connections of letters to each other, capitalization, punctuation, etc) ◦ Individual characteristics = unique features of the letters ***OFTEN THE KEY TO DETECTING FORGERY*** OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

Comparison: The handwriting sample for comparison is called the standard Standard is obtained from 2 sources: ◦ Requested writing (an individual writes a dictated text) ◦ Collected writing (comes from before the investigation began – may be signatures on canceled checks or written applications) OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

12 Characteristics for Comparison: 1. Line quality 2. Spacing of words/letters 3. Ratio of height, width, and size of letters 4. Lifting pen 5. Connecting strokes (letters connected on purpose) 6. Strokes to begin and end 7. Unusual letter formation 8. Pen pressure 9. Slant 10. Baseline habits 11. Fancy writing habits 12. Placement of diacritics OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

Thursday 21 September 2011 Topic: Ink analysis DO NOW: What were a few methods by which photo-forgery can be detected? In what types of circumstances might somebody do this? In terms of legal action, what consequence do you believe is appropriate for this type of forgery? Why? OBJECTIVES: Use chromatography in order to differentiate between various ink types. Describe why a chromatogram analysis is an important step in a document forgery investigation. HW: Ink Chromatography post lab questions AGENDA: What is chromatography? Perform ink analysis! Provide handwriting sample.

What is chromatography? The separation of a mixture into its components to be used for further analysis. Paper chromatography relies upon a solvent and capillarity. ◦ Solvent = a liquid that is attracted to parts of the mixture and pulls the components apart ◦ Capillarity = the ability of a liquid to travel up against gravity

LAB PROTOCOL Before we perform the activity, we need to establish procedures for using the lab portion of the classroom.

CHROMATOGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION TIME! After the demo, follow the directions to perform the activity While waiting for your lab to run, you are to provide a handwriting sample so we can continue the analysis from Monday.

Handwriting sample In our next class, we will be analyzing multiple handwriting samples in order to determine who committed forgery. On a new sheet of paper, copy the following IN YOUR NORMAL WRITING STYLE : ◦ Could you select your signature if it were mixed in with a group of similar signatures? When you get a letter in the mail, can you identify its author from the handwriting? Because handwriting is very individualistic, you can usually recognize your own handwriting and that of a good friend. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

Friday 23 September 2011 Topic: Handwriting analysis DO NOW: (on separate sheet) What was challenging about the activity? How might you change things if you were to redo it? What did the activity illustrate about the accuracy of ink analysis? OBJECTIVES: Discuss the challenges of performing an analysis. Determine who provided a faulty document based upon point analysis. HW: Study Units 1 & 2 for quest on Monday Organize notes/hw for check on Monday AGENDA: Chromatography summary discussion Performing a trace analysis of handwriting

Chromatography Summary What should you have gotten out of the lab? ◦ Not all ink types can be analyzed using this method ◦ Different brands have different components, making it easier to tell if somebody forged information on a document at a later date. ◦ The same type of analysis can be done in multiple ways (i.e. using H 2 O or ethanol as a solvent)  H 2 O as a solvent can analyze more brands BUT  Alcohol as a solvent analyzes in more detail

Handwriting analysis Handwriting has many many many different aspects to analyze. The most straightforward and fastest type of analysis is point analysis. General method: ◦ Using trace paper (or software), you trace the tips of letters to see the up-down pattern that someone’s handwriting creates.

Point Analysis Protocol 1. With the document provided to you, firmly attach a piece of trace paper over the handwriting sample (tape or staple) 2. Each time a letter peaks, make a dot on the peak. 3. Once you have dotted every peak on the trace paper, detach it from the sample. 4. Using a straight edge, connect all the dots to reveal the unique up-down pattern. 5. Tape your final product to the board so that everyone can observe the differences.

EXIT TICKET Qualifications of a Forensic Document Examiner ◦ Read the provided excerpt about the field of forensics document examination and respond to the prompt. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected. Extra credit on the quest: Print another handwring sample from the website and analyze it to turn in on Monday.