Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
FORGERY
Learning Objectives
1. Define forgery;
2. Enumerate the features of genuine writing;
3. State the indications of non-genuineness of documents
4. Illustrate the methods of forging; and
5. cite the techniques used by forgers
6.
What is Forgery?
A forgery is a powerful attempt to make fraudulent copy of something, whether it is a signature,
money, or a piece of art. If an object is fraudulent, this means that its origin is not what it is presented to
be. Fraudulent money, for example, is not genuine currency, and a forged check is not signed by the
person whose name is on the check. (Bell, 2009).
Strictly speaking, forgery is a legal term which involves not only a non-genuine document but
also an intent to fraud. However, it is also used synonymously with fraudulent signature or spurious
document.
INDICATION OF GENUINENESS
1. Carelessness
2. Spontaneity
3. Alternation of thick and thin strokes
4. Speed
5. Simplification
6. Upright letters are interspersed with slanting letters
7. The upward strokes to a threadlike tracing
8. Rhythm
9. Good line quality
10. Variation
IDENTIFICATION OF FORGERY
1. Hesitation and pen stop at unusual places
2. Abrupt change in direction of strokes, showing uncertainty of movements
3. Concealed joining or carefully made patching or retouching
4. Blunt initial and/or terminal strokes
5. Lack of difference in pressure on up and down strokes
6. Misplaced shading or shading in more than one direction caused by a false start
7. Defective line quality
8. Slow, broken strokes, or wavy lines (Tremors)
9. Unnatural pen lifting
10. Presence of carbon, pencil or indented outlines along the strokes
The simulated forgery is considered to be the most skillful type of forgery. Although this form
appears or made in various level of skills depending upon the forger, The reason for its being branded
as the most skillful type, lies on the fact that this process is done in not just ordinary way, it takes real
skill of different degrees in order for a forger to successfully imitate the signature which he intends to
sign. Through free-hand imitation a gifted forger will make a practice over a scratch paper for twenty-
thirty times before signing it to the fraudulent document. This is one of the reasons why at the
moment the forger signs it, he signs with certain continuity as distinguished from those of amateur
forger. It is also of this reason that detection of this type is relatively more difficult especially if
skillfully done.
Aside from the challenge of skills on the part of the forger, another thing that he has to work for
is to be able to understand the characteristics of the model signature of another person, execute the
same, while discarding his own writing style. See it is not just a simple job. There are even certain
instances that the forger could not be able to avail himself of the model signature, but because of his
desire to accomplish it and with sufficient familiarization with the signature to be imitated, simulation
can still be undertaken. Simulated forgery is also called as copied forgery.
3. The Traced Forgery
The traced forgery like a simulated forgery necessarily requires the aid of a model signature. As
the name implies, it is the result of an attempt of the forger to make a close resemblance of the original by
means of some tracing processes so as to transfer it to the fraudulent document.
Most cases of traced are easy to identify than a simulated one. This is due to the fact that a traced
signature is done in a way foreign from writing or this actually not more of writing rather a drawing. One
exemption to this could be the case of those who traced the signature with certain practice that they can
trace with a fact, free pen movement. But still the large numbers of these cases are really drawn with a
slow, measurable stroke, done with much consciousness, hesitation and abrupt turns due to certain
movement. Some of the tracing processes used in making traced forgery are as follows:
Defects that a traced forgery might be evidenced by looking on one or more of the following:
1. Quality of line strokes
2. Naturalness of movement, freedom strokes and speed of execution of the writing;
3. Hesitation causing pen lifting, retouching and shading;
4. Selecting and dating model signatures;
5. Presence of pencil, carbon or indention outlines which point to the process used; and
6. Identification of the questioned signature with a genuine or model signature used such as using
actual measurements with the aid of test plates, superimposition with transmitted light, or taking
photographs and producing transparencies to easily superimpose one over the other, transparent
glass with uniform ruled squares or various lines to show all parts agreeing with said squares or
lines.