Handwriting Analysis 25 hoaxes that had us fooled Hitler Diaries Dreyfus Affair 1

CLASS OR INDIVIDUAL EVIDENCE? CLASS EVIDENCE INDIVIDUAL EVIDENCE 2

What can we analyze in a document and how? 3

What influences our handwriting? Sex? Age? Gender? Religion? Personality? Background? Mood? Fatigue? 4

12 MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS 5

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Forgery Forgery: Blind Forgery: Simulated Forgery: Traced Forgery: 7

Forged documents include: checks employment records legal agreements licenses wills Fraudulence—___________ Cheque forgery can include: ordering another’s cheque’s from a deposit slip altering a cheque intercepting another’s cheque, altering, and cashing it creating a cheque from scratch 8

Analyze Signatures Using Letter Angle Plate 9

Obliterating Handwriting Obliterate: to remove writing Chlorine or sodium hypochlorite can make ink colourless UV light, Infrared light, and microscopes can be used to reveal alterations. Indented impressions can be left on the paper beneath DO NOT rub with pencil but use oblique light Indentations also increase a paper’s capacity to hold an electrostatic charge. Electrostatic detection apparatus (ESDA) is used Pour toner powder over charged sheet of plastic covering the paper which creates an image which is then photocopied. Iodine crystals can be used too 10

Technologies Biometric Signature Pads “Learns” to recognize how a person signs Evaluates speed, pressure, and rhythm of the signature Recognizes forgeries by the detection of even slight differences Computerized Analysis Compares handwriting samples objectively Compared with samples stored in databases 11

Authentication Evidence in the Courtroom Shortcomings in Analysis 12

Avoiding Forged Cheques Chemically sensitive paper Large font size requires more ink and makes alterations more difficult High resolution borders that are difficult to copy Multiple color patterns Embed fibers that glow under different light Use chemical wash detection systems that change color when a cheque is altered 13

Making Something That its NOt Best forgeries aim to duplicate the materials found in the original: old paper chemically treated materials to fake an older look inks mixed from substances that would have been used at the time watermarks that add the appearance of age tools and styles that would have been popular at the time 14