HANDOUTS

IN

FORENSIC 4

QUESTIONED
DOCUMENT
CHAPTER 1
DEFINITION OF TERMS
DOCUMENT

-In its fullest meaning, is any material, which contains mark, symbol or signs either visible, partially visible or
invisible that may presently or ultimately convey meaning or message to someone.

QUESTIONED DOCUMENT

-Is any document about which some issues have been raised or under scrutiny.

Kinds of Documents

1. Public Document – any document notarized by notary public or competent public official with solemnities
required by law.
2. Official Document – any document issued by the government or its agents or its officers having the authority
to do so and the offices, which in accordance with their creation, they are authorized to issue and be issued in
the performance of their duties.
3. Private Document – every deed or instrument executed by a private person without the intervention of a
notary public or of any legally authorized, by which documents, some disposition or agreement is proved,
evidence or set forth
4. Commercial Document – any document executed in accordance with the Code of Commerce or any Mercantile
Law, containing disposition of commercial rights or obligations.

HANDWRITING

-Is the result of a very complicated series of acts being as a whole. A combination of certain form of visible
mental and muscular habits acquired by a long continued painstaking effort.

3 KINDS OF HANDWRITING
1. Cursive
2. s c r i p t
3. B L O C K

SIGNATURE

-Is a name of person written by himself on a document as a sign of acknowledgement. It is a word most
practiced by many people and therefore most fluently written.

2 KINDS OF SIGNATURE

1. Conventional Signature
 2. Highly Individualized Signature

STANDARD

-Are condensed and compact set of authentic specimens which if adequate and proper should contain true cross
section of material from a known source.

2 KINDS OF STANDARD

1. Requested

-Writing secured by investigator upon request.

2. Collected

-Writing done on a day-to-day basis.

REQUIREMENTS IN SECURING STANDARD

A. Amount of Standards
B. Date of Preparation
C. Writing Condition
D. Similarity of Subject Matter
E. Writing Instrument Used

CHARACTERISTICS

-It is any property or mark which distinguishes and in document examination commonly refers to identifying
details.

KINDS OF CHARACTERISTICS

Common, Class or Style Characteristics

-They are those which conform to the general style acquired when learning to write and which is fashionable at
the particular time and place. It is the style taught to the child in school or by the parents.

Not all characteristics encountered in document examination are peculiar to a single person or thing, but rather
common to a group.
EXAMPLES OF COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OR QUALITIES

Ordinary Copybook Form

Usual Systematic Slant

Ordinary Scale of Proportion

Conventional Spacing

Individual or Personal Characteristics

-Those introduced into the handwriting, consciously or unconsciously by the writer. They are highly personal or
peculiar and are unlikely to occur in other instances.

These characteristics are acquired either by:

1. Outgrowth of definite teaching
2. Result of imitation
3. Accidental condition/circumstances

Expression of certain mental and physical traits of the writer as affected by education, by environment, and by
occupation

EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS

Hook to the Right and Hook to the Left

Shape, Position, Size, and Angle of “i” Dots and “t” Crossing
Idiosyncrasies

Bulbs and Distinctive Initial and Final Pen Pressure

Embellishment, Added Strokes and Free Movement

Abbreviation of Letters

Simple, Compound Curves and Graceful Endings

Labored Movement producing Ragged Lines

Terminal Shadings and Forceful Endings

Presence of Influence of Foreign Handwriting, i.e. the introduction of Greek “e”

HABIT

-Is any repeated element or detail that may serve to individualize writing.

NATURAL VARIATION

-Is the normal or usual deviation found between repeated specimens of any individual handwriting.

SKILL

-Is the proficiency in the art of writing usually described to manual dexterity and legibility in writing. It is the
ability, which usually contains the writer’s proficiency.

BASE LINE

-Is the ruled or imaginary line upon which the writing rests.

NATURAL WRITING

-Is any specimen of writing executed normally without any attempt to control o alter its identifying habits and
usual quality of execution.

DISGUISED HANDWRITING

-A writer may deliberately try to alter his usual writing habits in hope of hiding his identity.

SIGNIFICANT WRITING HABIT

-This applies to any characteristics of handwriting which is sufficiently unique and well-fixed to serve as a
fundamental point of identification.

HIATUS
 -Is the gap between the strokes without lifting the writing instrument. This is the influenced by speed and
defective writing instrument.

PEN LIFT

-Is an interruption in stroke caused by removing the writing instrument from the paper.

HESITATION

-Is the irregular thickening of the ink line when the writing slows down or stops while the writer take stuck of the
position.

LATERAL SPACING

-Is the horizontal spacing between letters or words

3 TYPES OF LATERAL SPACING

1. Normal
2. Wide
3. Cramp

TREMOR

-Is a writing weakness portrayed by irregular shake strokes.

2 KINDS OF TREMOR

1. Genuine Tremor
2. Tremor of Fraud

CAUSES OF TREMOR

1. Lack of Skill
2. Hesitation as a result of Limitation
3. Self-consciousness
4. Nervousness
5. Illiteracy
RHYTHM

-Is the flowing succession of motion, which is recorded, in a written record or the harmonious recurrence of
stress or impulse. Balance quality of movement.

PEN PRESSURE

-The average force with which the pen contracts the paper.

PATCHING

-Is the retouching or going back over a defective writing stroke.

SHADING

-The widening of ink in stroke due to added pressure on a flexible pen point or the use of such pen.

RETRACING

-Stroke which goes back over the same stroke.

GUIDED SIGNATURE

-Signature executed while the writer’s hand is steadied in anyway.

SEQUENCE OF STROKE

-Is the order in which writing strokes are placed on the paper.

FORGERY
 -Is an act of counterfeiting documents, signatures with an intent on the part of its maker to defraud.

ALTERATION

-Are changes made on the documents after its original printing.

COUNTERFEIT

-Illegal printing of paper bills and/or coins.

Common Terms & Descriptions

ARC or ARCH

-Any arcade form in the body of the letter.

BEARD

-A rudimentary curved initial strokes usually in capital letters.

BLUNT ENDING/BEGINNING
 -Blunt ending and initial strokes are result of the drawing process in forgery.

BUCKLE KNOT

-The horizontal and looped strokes that are often used to complete such letter.

CENTRAL PART or BODY

-The part of a letter ordinarily formed by a small circle that usually lies on the line of writing.

EYE LOOP or EYELET

-The small loop formed by the strokes that extend in divergent directions.

FOOT OF THE LETTER or OVAL

-The lower portion of any down strokes that terminates on the baseline.
DIACRITIC

-An element added to complete certain letters.

HITCH

-The introductory backward stroke added to the beginning or ending of many capital letters or small letters.

HOOK or THROUGH

-The bend, crook, or curve on the inner side of the bottom loop or curve of a small letter. A minute and
involuntary talon – like formation often found at the commencement of an initial stroke, upstroke, or at the end
of the terminal.

HUMP

-The rounded outside top of the bend, crook, or curve in small letters.
 SP
UR

-Short horizontal beginning stroke.

KNOB

-Rounded appearance of the beginning or ending stroke.

MAIN STROKE or SHANK STEM

-Downward strokes of any letter.

WHIRL

-The upward stroke usually on letters that have long loops.

 SPACE FILLER or TERMINAL SPUR

-An upward horizontal or downward final stroke usually seen in small letters.

CHAPTER 2
EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS HIS/HER OWN CONCEPT OF WRITING A LETTER; NOW LET US EXAMINE THE LETTERS OF
THE ALPHABET.

Examination of letter is similar to

A. the examination of the oval letters

B. Consider each oval as clock face; it is closed at 11:00, 12:00, and 1:00 o’clock?

C. Is the oval completely closed in its upper aspect or is there a general tendency to leave a tiny gap?
D. Are initial upstrokes present? Do these start from the baseline? Above or below?

E. What is the height of its terminal stroke?

Examination of letters

A. Is the staff straight, bowed or curved?

B. Is the staff looped or retraced?

C. Is there an eyelet at its junction of spur?

D. Is the staff looped or retraced?

E. Is there an eyelet at its junction of spur?

F. Examine its final stroke as to the curve, and angle with the baseline.
Examine the letters f, g, j, y, q, z.
A. As to its lower projection – does it form a loop or hook?

B. Was it done on a straight line?

C. Does its terminal stroke reach the baseline?

Examination of i and j.

A. Is it at its left or right position of the letter, in what form?

B. What is its form?

 Examine of the letters m, n and h.
A. Where is the foot located? On the baseline, above the baseline, below the baseline?

b. What is its initial stroke formed? Its terminal.

Examination of letters u, w, y and v.

A. Examine the height of the two points.
 do they have same sizes?

B. Examine the shape of the letter.

is It garlanded? angular or pointed? wedge? (between angular and garlanded)

C. Is there an initial upstroke? What is its shape?

Examination of letter C.
A. Is there an initial upstroke?
B. Note the position of the main curve in relation to the baseline.

C. Examine its terminal stroke.

Examination of letters e and L.

A. Examine the development of its curve, which is flatter?

B. Is the initial upstroke straight or curved?

C. Where is the height of its intersection? (On the baseline? Above the baseline? Or below?)

Examination of letters O and P.

A. Does the letter begin with an initial upstroke?

B. Does it form an eye?

C. At what point does the oval close?

Examination of letter R.
A. Is there an initial upstroke? What is its form?

B. What is the size of its shoulder? Is it the same, one is higher, or it has one shoulder?

C. Where is the foot located in relation to the baseline?

Examination of letter S.
A. Where is its initial stroke located in relation to the baseline? On, above or below?

B. In what form is the initial stroke? Straight line or spur, with a hitch or with a hook?

C. Is it top pointed, with eyelet?

Examination of letter T.
A. As to the position of its initial stroke – straight or curved?

B. Examine the position of the terminal stroke, is it straight, curved?

C. The T-crossing, is the left and right equal in size, is one short, other long, is it only at the left or right side?

D. Where is the crossing placed? On top or above Its stem, or at the middle? Determine also the terminal stroke,
with hitch or hook.

Examination of letter V.
A. Is there an initial stroke? In what form? Hitch, curve or hook?

B. Its foot with regards to the baseline. What is its form? Pointed, rounded or wedge?
C. The terminal stroke? Where is it?

Examination of letter X.
A. Point of intersection – is it at the middle, below the middle, below the position, at its upper portion?

B. What is its formation – with curve at its upper position, with an eyelet at the foot and upper position?

C. With a unique shape.

SAMPLE OF SIGNATURES
CHAPTER 3

ALTERATION

- Are the change in the writing made by the party thereto, or by some person entitled there under after the
instrument has been executed.

- Such changes is made without the consent of other party interested and give the instrument a different effect
from that where it originally possessed.

KINDS OF ALTERATION

1. ERASURE

- Removal of writing, typewriting or printing from a document.

a. Mechanical or Abrasive erasure

- The writing is effaced by rubbing with a rubber erasure or scratching out with a knife or other sharp
instrument.

- Is usually made w/ a knife, rubber erasure or fine memory paper that will injure the paper. When the paper
surface is damaged the paper become porous and the ink will penetrate the fiber.

b. Chemical Erasure

-The writing is effaced by the use of liquid ink eradicator.

- Chemical eradicator are made in solution which bleach the color out of ink, making the writing appear invisible.

- Frequently the eradicator can be detected by the peculiar odor removing in the paper or with litmus paper
which reveal evidence of tampering.
- A chemical alteration may sometimes be detected by the appearance of a pale yellow stains or a slight
discoloration around the suspected alteration/changes

2. ADDITION

- Any matter made a part of the document after its original preparation. When there is sufficient space between
the word or at the end of a sentence to permit the insertion or addition of a single letter or word or a punctuation
mark, such alteration may change the impart of the entire document ot its monetary value.

3. SUBTRACTION/ CANCELLATION

Any matter out, strike out or scratched out after out its original preparation.

An alteration by cancellation is occasionally found in a document of importance such as will, deed or contract
where the writer intends to eliminate a word, name or sentence without the necessity of rewriting the entire
matter. The writer draws lines vertical or horizontal lines through the writing having the effect of cancellation.

. INTERLINEATION or INSERTION

- The term “insertion” and “interlination” include the addition of writing and other material between lines or
paging or the addition of whole pages to a document.

- The writing between the lines of an instrument for the purpose of adding apart to it or correcting what has
been written.

DECIPHERMENT

- The process of making out what is illegible or what has been effaced. Decipherment refers to the process of
reading or making out the material, which is illegible without actually developing or restoring the original writing
on the document itself.

INK ERADICATOR

- Ink eradicator consist of chemical solutions, which are capable of erasing ink.

SECRET INK

- A material used for writing which is not visible until treated by some developing process or substance.

BALL POINT PEN

- A writing instrument which has as its marking tip a small freely rotating ball bearing which rolls the ink in the
paper. This pen uses highly viscous nonqueous ink

FOUNTAIN PEN

-A modern nib pen which contains a reservoir of ink in a specially design sack or chamber. After complete filling,
the pen is capable of writing a number of pages without refilling
CHAPTER 4
Counterfeit Currency
The crime of counterfeiting currency is as old as money itself. In the past, nations had used counterfeiting as a
means of warfare, such as in the War Between the States in the USA in the mid-1800s and the Bernhard
Operation in Europe during the Second World War.

The idea was to overflow the enemy’s economy with fake banknotes so that the real value of the said money was
reduced, thus, attacking the economy and general welfare of a society.

Recognizing Counterfeit Peso Bill

Distinctive Feel
Generally smooth, the fingers will hardly feel the prints of the front and back, even on new notes. This is brought
about by offset printing, the most common process employed by counterfeiters.

Photo-counterfeits reproduced by straight photographic copying generally feel “slimy”. The “prints” are mere
stains on the coating of the sensitized paper, which is glossy.

Portrait

The portrait appears “dead”. The face and/or forehead are often unnatural white or pale due to absence of most
of the details. It appears blurred, dull, smudged and poorly printed. The eye does not sparkle. The concentric line
depicting the eyes often merges into solid printed areas.

The background often blends with portrait and is usually “scratch”. The lines are thick with rough edges, broken
and full. The multi-colored prints on genuine notes are extremely difficult to duplicate. As a result, counterfeit
notes are usually off-color and not of the right shade or tone.
Watermark

This is imitated by printing white ink or dry block on the finishing paper. Sometimes, wash or other oily medium is
stamped to give transparency to the portion where the design appears.

A printed outline is placed on the inner sheet, where two sheets are used. At times, a paper cut out is placed
inside. As a result, course, harsh, or opaque irregular lines are very obvious.

Metallic Thread

On the inner side of the paper, insertions of twine thread are obvious. The note is also vertically folded where the
thread are supposed to appear, such as on a genuine bill.

Colored Fibers

Simulated printed lines cannot be picked up, but can be easily erased with ordinary rubber eraser or by agitating
with wet fingers.
Lacework design

This geometric pattern is often blurred, rough on the edge and blotched on the joint. Its continuity cannot be
traced. The color appears faded.

Color of Each Denomination

Generally there is an irregular sputtering of white spots caused by non registry or breaks in the background tint.
Most often, counterfeit of this type lacks the vividness of color found in genuine bills.

Serial Number

The letters and numbers are poorly printed. They are usually of different style. Most often, they are evenly spaced
and are poorly aligned; too big or too small; too thick or too thin; and, in cases, shaded on the curves.

Vignette

Vignette, is usually dull and poor printed. It appears dirty. The lines are comparatively thicker, wit rough edge.
There is no variation in color tone, so that the picture appears flat.

Clearness of Print

A spurious note exhibits a “second hand” logo. It is dirty due to sputtering of ink on the interior area. Over-inked
areas are visible instantly. The shading and ornamentation of the letters and figures are thick and usually merged.

Security features and characteristics of the New Philippine Peso Bill