FORGERY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:
1. Define forgery;
2. Enumerate the features of genuine writing;
3. Enumerate the indications of non-genuineness of documents;
4. Enumerate the methods of forging; and
5. Cite the techniques used by forgers
 WHAT IS FORGERY?

A forgery is a purposeful attempt to make a 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.
(Belle, 2009)
 WHAT IS FORGERY?

Strictly speaking, forgery is a legal term that requires the

element of intent to defraud. Proving or disproving intent
to defraud is the lawyer’s job. Forensic document
examiners, therefore, do not used the word forgery in
their reports or courts testimonies to avoid implying that
they know the writer’s intent.
 WHAT IS FORGERY?

For example, the examiner’s report could state that the

questioned signature of a certain person on a certain
contract is not the genuine signature of that person, but
rather the signature of some other writer who attempted
to imitate the genuine signature. (Eckert, 1997)
 INDICATION OF GENUINENESS

1. Smooth, rapid, nonstop and free-flowing pen

movement;
2. Sweeping and unbroken starting and ending stroked
in rounded forms;
3. Sweeping, misplaced and misshapen i-dots and t-
crosses;
4. Joining of initials of words;
 INDICATION OF GENUINENESS
5. Wide writing and spacing;
6. Simplification of forms, such as capitals;
7. Letters tapered illegibly toward the end of words;
8. Marked difference in pressure on upstrokes and down-strokes
9. Delicate pressure at beginning and ending strokes to letters;
10. Absence of carefully made repair and correcting strokes;
11.Letter formations and pen movements that show close similarity to the
exemplars’ letter formations and pen movements.
 INDICATION OF FORGERY
1. Blunt starts and stops- The forger places the pen point in
contact with the paper, and then starts writing. When he is
finished with the name or some portion thereof, he stops the pen
and lifts it from the surface. This may cause an emphasized blunt
start or ending where the pen was placed in contact with the
surface. At times this contact is held so long that if the pen
contains a fluid ink it will wet the paper and migrate outward
from the contact point.
 INDICATION OF FORGERY
2. Pen lifts and hesitation
This occurs when the pen stops at an unusual point in the
writing—perhaps where a radical change in direction is about to
be started. This may take on the appearance of a small gap in the
written line where one is not expected, or an overlapping of two
ink lines where there should be only one continuous line.
 INDICATION OF FORGERY
3. Tremor
Because the creation of most forms of non-genuine signatures
are little more than drawings, the pen is moving so slowly that
small, sometimes microscopic changes in direction take place in
what should be a fluid-looking line. The resultant line is not
smooth, but reflects the ”shaking” pen.
 INDICATION OF FORGERY
4. Speed and Pressure
Again, because the pen is moving slowly rather than with the
dynamic movement associated with most genuine writings, the
ink line remains constant in thickness, resulting from the same
constant pressure exerted on a slowly moving pen. There will be
little, if any, tapering of internal lines.
 INDICATION OF FORGERY
5. Patching
Infrequently, but at one time or another, most of us have
made3 an error while writing our own signature. Some
individuals may leave the signature alone, caring little about the
mistake of imperfection, while others simply “fix” the signature
by correcting the offending portion. This may be done in order to
make the signature more readable, or because a defect in the pen
or paper has affected what we perceive to be our “normal”
signature, or for some other reason that may even be
subconscious.
 KINDS AND METHODS OF FORGING
1. Simple Forgery
The simple forgery makes no attempt to imitate a genuine
signature. It could be no signature of a specific person or a
fictitious name. It is the easiest type of forgery to identify
because it does not resemble a known signature.
 KINDS AND METHODS OF FORGING
2. Simulated Forgery
The forger attempts to copy a known signature. The known signature
can be copied freehand or it may be traced from a model so that the result
is exactly alike in terms of sizes of letters and some of the stroke
structures. These methods differ widely in details, according to the
circumstances of each case. Tracing can only be employed when a
signature or writing is present in the exact or approximate form of the
desired reproduction. Simulated forgery is the most difficult of all
methods to create and the most difficult to detect.
KINDS AND METHODS OF FORGING
KINDS AND METHODS OF FORGING
 TYPES OF TRACED FORGERY
1. Indention Process
The outline of the writing underneath will then appear
sufficiently plain to enable it to be traced with pen or
pencil, so as to produce a very accurate copy upon the
superimposed paper. If the outline is with a pencil, it is
afterward marked over with ink.
 TYPES OF TRACED FORGERY
2. Transmitted Process
It may then be done by placing the writing to be forged
upon a transparency over a strong light, and then
superimposing the paper upon which the forgery is to be
made.
 TYPES OF TRACED FORGERY
3. Carbon Process
This is done with the aid of carbon paper interleave
between a blank paper, used with apparent force of
writing, then afterwards marked over with ink.
 TECHNIQUES OF THE FORGER
A clever forger needs considerable knowledge and skills and
uses as variety of mechanical devices when attempting to make
fraudulent copies of documents. They may have knowledge of
papers, inks and computer technology. They may be skilled in
printing, engraving or penmanship. They may even have access
to secured forms, check writers and rubber stamps. They also
sometimes use modern technology to duplicate forms, checks
and gift certificates.
 TECHNIQUES OF THE FORGER
Some forgers attempt to imitate handwriting, or signatures while
others disguise their own handwriting to prevent others from
identifying it as theirs. There are also forgers who alter documents by
changing dates or raising amounts of money. Some attempt the more
difficult task of forging not to just a signature but a whole document.
He will probably focus on imitating the habits of the original writer,
but will revert to his own writing habits when his attention wanes.
The Forensic examination of handwriting and signatures is discussed
further in lesson 8 and 9 respectively.
 TECHNIQUES OF THE FORGER
Advancement in computer technology has made it easier for
some to create fraudulent documents. In fact, numerous forgers
have attempted to use personal computers, desktop publishing
software, scanners and laser printers to create counterfeit checks
and other documents that require expensive printing equipment.
Further discussion on printed and photocopied documents can be
found in Lesson 13.