QUESTIONED DOCUMENT

EXAMINATION

VIVIANO P BELEN
Police Superintendent
Deputy Chief, QD Exam Div
PNP Crime Laboratory
 OUTLINE
• FUNCTIONS OF A DOCUMENT EXAMINER
• BASIC REQUIREMENTS IN QUESTIONED
DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
• CLASSES OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS
• TERMINOLOGIES AND EXPLANATON
• TECHNIQUES IN THE EXAMINATION OF
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
• CARE, PRESERVATION AND HANDLING OF
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
 FUNCTIONS OF A DOCUMENT EXAMINER
• EXAMINATION OF QUESTIONED SIGNATURES
• HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION (Anonymous letter, Ransom
Note, Threat letter, Alleged suicide note/letter)
• EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS SUSPECTED TO HAVE BEEN ALTERED
• DECIPHERMENT OF SECRET WRITING
• EXAMINATION OF SEQUENCE OF ENTRY
• PAPER AND INK COMPARISON
• TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION
• EXAMINATION OF COUNTERFEIT BILLS
• MISCELLANEOUS EXAMINATION SUCH AS CREDIT CARD FRAUDS,
FAKE PASSPORTS EXAMINATION AND CYBER CRIME EXAMINATION
• CONDUCT LECTURES TO PNP, AFP, AND OTHER AGENCIES
• CONDUCT FIELD LABORATORY WORKS
• ATTEND COURT DUTIES
BASIC REQUIREMENTS IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
A. REQUEST:
– Document Examination shall be based on written request
from any investigating agency of the government, court
order and private requesting party.

– Documents previously examined by any competent

agencies of the government shall not be re-examined
except when there is a court order.

– If the case is undergoing trial in court, disputed documents

shall be examined only upon order of the court having
jurisdiction of the case.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
B. SPECIMEN TO BE SUBMITTED
1. Signature
• Original documents
• Contemporaneous date of the standard
handwritings maximum of five (5) years before
and after the execution of the questioned
document
• At least eight (8) standard signatures
• Similar writing style (conventional to
conventional, highly individualized to highly
individualized
BASIC REQUIREMENTS IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
B. SPECIMEN TO BE SUBMITTED
2. Handwriting
• Original documents
• Contemporaneous date of the standard documents
maximum of five (5) years before and after the
execution of the questioned document
• At least four (4) to five (5) pages of standard
handwritings
• Similar writing style (cursive to cursive, script to
script and printed to printed
• Similar language/dialect
• Similar writing instrument used if possible
BASIC REQUIREMENTS IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
B. SPECIMEN TO BE SUBMITTED

3. Typewriting
Original document
At least four (4) pages of standard documents
typewritten verbatim

4. Counterfeiting/Imitation
Original of the questioned documents
At least one (1) standard in case of unfair trade
competition

5. Alteration
Original of the questioned documents
CLASSES OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS
• DOCUMENTS WITH QUESTIONED SIGNATURES
• HOLOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTS
• DOCUMENTS INVOLVING TYPEWRITINGS
• DOCUMENTS CONTAINING ALLEGED FRAUDULENT
ALTERATIONS
• DOCUMENTS QUESTIONED AS TO THEIR AGE OR DATE
• DOCUMENTS QUESTIONED ON THE MATERIAL USED
IN THEIR PRODUCTION
• GENUINE DOCUMENTS ERRONEOUSLY OR
FRAUDULENTLY ATTACKED
 TERMINOLOGIES
• DOCUMENT – any material which
contains marks, symbols or signs either
visible, partially visible, or invisible that
may presently or ultimately convey
meaning or message to someone.
• QUESTIONED DOCUMENT – any
document about which some issue have
been raised or under scrutiny, with
respect to its genuineness and its origin.
 TERMINOLOGIES
STANDARD – are condensed and compact set of
authentic specimen which if adequate and
proper should contain a true cross-section of
the material from a known source.

CLASSES OF STANDARD
Collected standard – are those writing executed
from day to day in the course of business,
social and personal affairs.
Requested or Dictated standard – are standard
writings prepared upon request of the
investigator and for the sole purpose of
comparison with the questioned document
 FACTORS CONSIDERED IN SELECTING
STANDARDS FOR COMPARISON
• Amount of Standard
• Similarity of subject matter
• Date of Preparation
• Writing Materials
• Writing Condition
 FOR REQUESTED AND DICTATED
STANDARDS
• Materials must be dictated to the suspect or
suspects.
• Carefully select the dictated text. Do not dictate
the entire content of the anonymous letter.
• Adequate amount of writing must be included.
• Some portion of the dictation should be
repeated at least three times.
• Writing instrument and paper should be similar
to those used in preparing the questioned
document.
• The dictation should be interrupted at intervals.
• Normal writing conditions should be arranged.
 TERMINOLOGIES
CHARACTERISTICS – is any property or mark
which distinguishes and in document
examination commonly refers to as
identifying details.

Two (2) Groups of Characteristics

Class Characteristics – those which is common to
a group
Individual Characteristics – those which are highly
personal or peculiar and are unlikely to occur
in other instances.
 TERMINOLOGIES
• VARIATION – the normal or usual
deviation found in repeated specimen of
any individual handwriting.
 TERMINOLOGIES
HANDWRITING – is the result of a very
complicated series of acts, being as a whole a
combination of certain forms of visible mental
and muscular habits acquired by long continued
painstaking effort.
Kinds of Writing:
Cursive – letters are connected
Script – letters are disconnected
Block – letters are all capitalized
 TERMINOLOGIES
SIGNATURE – is the name of a person
written by himself on a document as a
sign of acknowledgement.
Styles of Signature
1. Conventional type
2. Highly individualized type
2 KINDS OF SIGNATURE
 Conventional Signature
 Highly Individualized Signature
 TERMINOLOGIES
ALTERATION – are the changes made on a document
after its original preparation.
Kinds of Alterations:
1. Erasure – removal of writing, typewriting or printing
from a document
a. Mechanical erasure – the writing is effaced by
rubbing with a rubber eraser or scratching out with
a knife or other sharp instrument.
b. Chemical erasure –the writing is effaced by the use
of liquid ink eradicator
2. Obliteration – the blotting out or smearing over of
writing to make the original invisible or undecipherable
 TERMINOLOGIES
Kinds of Alterations:
3. Addition – any matter made a part of the document
after its original preparation
4. Subtraction – any matter rubbed out, strike out and/or
scratched out after its original preparation
5. Interlineations- the term “insertion” and
“interlineations” include the addition of writing and
other material between lines or paging or the
addition of whole page to a document.
6. Superimposition – often accomplished by covering or
smearing over or over laying the original writing.
TECHNIQUES IN THE EXAMINATION OF QUESTIONED
DOCUMENTS

1. Microscopic Examination – Stereoscopic

examination with low and high power
objectives is used to detect retouching,
patching and unnatural pen lift in signature
analysis. With proper angle and intensity of
illumination, it aids in the decipherment of
erasures, some minutes manipulation not
perfectly pictured to the unaided eye and
the sequence of entries done by different
writing instrument.
Stereoscopic Examination
 2. Transmitted Light Examination –
Documents are subjected to this type of
examination to determine the presence of
erasures, matching of serration and some
other types of alteration.
 3. Oblique Light Examination –
Decipherment of faded handwriting,
determination of outlines in traced
forgery, embossed impression, etc. are
subjected to this type of examination.
 4. Photographic Examination – This type of
examination is very essential in every document
examination. Actual observations are recorded
in the photography.
5. Ultra-Violet Examination – This type of
examination is done in a darkroom after the lamp
has been warmed up in order to give a maximum
output of the ultra-violet light. Exposure to the
ultra-violet light should be to the minimum
duration in order to avoid fading of some writing
ink and typewriter ribbon. The exposures of a
document to ultra-violet light is useful when it
consists of several pages and substitution is
being suspected. The color and intensity of
fluorescence reaction is very apparent in case of a
substituted page. Mechanical and chemical
erasures will certainly change the reflectivity and
fluorescence of the area affected.
Ultra-Violet Examination
 6. Preparation of Court Exhibits – After the document
examiner has completed his examination and the
Laboratory report has been submitted, he prepares the
photographic exhibits for court demonstration and
illustration.
 7. Electrostatic Detection Apparatus – Detects
indention/ indented writings. Records transparencies of
any indentations.
8. Video Spectral Comparator (VSC) –
Used in the examination of masked or
obliterated text, watermarks, visible
fluorescence, paper fluorescence and
oblique illumination of indented writing and
embossing. Detects variation in the infra-red
characteristics of inks. Reveals alterations by
eliminating interfering background
luminescence.
Video Spectral Comparator (VSC)
 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

Typewriting Identification
 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

Typewriting Identification
“Serif” Yarn Count
1
1 2
2 3
3 Woof or (“Ribbon
4 Filling”)
4 5
5 6 Yarn Count or
7 (“Weave Pattern”)
8
9
10
11
12
13
“Thirteen (13) ribbon threads to a letter”
 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

Typewriting Identification

Variation in letter design illustrated under ruled square template

 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

Typewriter Identification

Note the unique characteristic of the typed letter "u" (left) from
the questioned document, which matches the unique
characteristic of the "u" typewriter key (right) from the
typewriter seized during the investigation
 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

Ribbon Identification

Example of paper fiber transfer with typewritten text (left) and the
carbon ribbon impression (right).
 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

The transfer of fiber designs can link a typewriter ribbon to type text.
Which enables examination to positively link a ribbon text on a
document. In the examples above, carbon was transferred (left) when
the typeface struck the ribbon to the paper. A reverse transfer of the
paper fiber design (right) is made on the plastic ribbon from the
pressure exerted by the typeface
 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

Specimen made without ribbon and photographed by side light to show

design of letters

Enlargement typewritten word under ruled squares of test plate

 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

Comparison of typewritten word under ruled squares of test plate

 TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION

Common Typewriting Defects and Causes

Typewritten word from an old discarded machine illustrating different

typewriter defects and abnormalities.
 COUNTERFEITING
The first step in the detection of counterfeit note is to
study the workmanship of each denomination of
known genuine Central Bank notes. Bear in mind that
there are ten (10) special features you should take
note of and familiarize yourself with.
Paper – A genuine note is course and rough while a
counterfeit one is smooth and slimy and the prints
are mere stains on the coating of the sensitized
glossy paper. Our notes are made of linen and cotton.
Due to the measurable thickness of the ink deposited
on the paper, it gives the print an embossed effect.
 COUNTERFEITING
Portrait – The portrait appears “life-like”. The
eyes sparkle. The tiny dots forming the details
of the face, hair, etc. are clear, sharp and well
defined. The portrait stands out distinctly
from the background. In counterfeit notes,
the portrait appears “dead” dull, smudgy and
poorly printed. The eyes do not sparkle. The
concentric lines depicting the eyes often
merge into solid printed areas.
Portrait
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES
“Study and familiarize yourself with the characteristics, designs and
distinct features of BSP banknotes by following these steps”:

 PAPER (a)

Feel the paper- The genuine note is printed on a special kind of

paper which is rough when you run your fingers thru it. It does not
glow under the ultra- violet light. During paper manufacture, the
watermark, security fibers, security threads and iridescent are
included.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

WATERMARK (b)
Examine the watermark on the unprinted portion of
the note. The water mark is silhouette of the portrait
appearing on the face of the note. Sharp details of the light
and shadow effect can be seen when the note is viewed
against the light. The contours of the features of the
silhouette can be felt by running the fingers over the design
on relatively new notes.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

SECURITY FIBERS (c)

Inspect the security fibers. Embedded red
and blue visible fibers are scattered at
random on both surfaces of a genuine note
and can be readily picked off by means of
any pointed instrument.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES
 EMBEDDED SECURITY THREAD (d)
- View the embedded security thread . The
embedded security thread is a special thread
vertically implanted off center of the note
during paper manufacture. This can be
easily be seen when the note is viewed
against the light. It appears as a broken line
for 5’s, 10’s, and 20’s and straight line for
50’s, 100‘s, 500’s, 1000’s.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES
 WINDOWED SECURITY THREAD (e)
View the windowed security thread on the improved
version of the 100’s, 500’s, and 1000 notes and the new 200
notes. The windowed security thread is a narrow security
thread vertically located like “stitches” at the face of the
note with clear text of the numerical value in repeated
sequence and changes in color from magenta to green or
green to magenta depending on the angle view.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

IRRIDESCENT BAND (f)

Find for the iridescent band on the improve
version of 100’s, 500’s and 1000 notes and the new
200 notes. A wide glistening gold vertical stripe
with the numerical value printed series.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES
 PORTRAIT (g)
Recognize the portrait. Appears life-like. The eyes
“sparkle”. Shadings are formed by the lines that
give the portrait a characteristics facial expression
which is extremely difficult to replicate
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

 SERIAL NUMBER (h)

Check the serial number. Composed of 1 or 2
prefix letters and 6 or 7 digits. The letters and
numerals are uniform in size and thickness,
evenly space and well aligned; and glow under
the ultra-violet light. A banknote with six “0”
digit the serial number is a specimen note and
not legal tender note.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

 BACKGROUND/ LACEWORK DESIGN (i)

Scan the background/ lacework design are
made up of multicolored and well defined
lines. The lace work designs are composed of
web- crisscrossing lines are continuous and
traceable at the intersection.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

VALUED PANEL (j)

Check the numerals found at the four
corners of the front and back of the
note. The numerals denote the
denomination of the note.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

FLUORESCENT PRINTING (k)

Look for the presence of the fluorescent
print when the note is exposed under
the ultra-violet light. The fluorescent
print is the invisible numerical value
located off center of the face of the note
that glows when exposed to ultra- violet
light.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

 MICROPRINTING (l)
Verify under the lens the presence of the micro
printing on the denominations 50, 100, 200,
500, and 1000. micro printings are the minute
and finely printed words “Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas” or “Central Bank of the Philippines”
located at the face or back of the note that are
clearly printed and readable.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

CONCEALED VALUE (m)

Check the concealed value on the 500 piso
denomination. This concealed value is located at
the lower left corner of the face of the note and is
recognizable when the note is held at the eye level
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

OPTICALLY VARIABLE INK (n)

Check the optically variable ink on the 1000- piso
denomination. It changes color from green to blue
or blue to green when the note is held at different
angles.
STEPS IN RECOGNIZING GENUINE BSP NOTES

VIGNETTE (o)
Verify the vignette. The lines and
dashes composing the vignette are fine,
distinct and sharp; the varying color
tone gives a vivid look to the picture
that makes it “stand out” of the paper.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
PAPER

- Made up of special kind of

paper which is rough to touch. - Made up of ordinary
- Does not react to ultraviolet paper which usually
light. reacts under the
- Watermark/ security fibers ultraviolet light.
and security thread are
incorporated during its
manufacture.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
WATERMARK

- Watermark located on the

unprinted portion of the note - Imitation of the portrait is
is the portrait appearing on done on the finished paper.
the face of the note.
- Shadow effects are - Wax or other oily medium is
discernable when viewed with stamped to give transparency
the aid of a transmitted light. to the portion where the design
- Relief of the features can be appears.
felt by running the fingers on
the design.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
SECURITY FIBERS

- Red and blue fibers - Simulated by printed

are scattered at lines that cannot be
random on both picked-off, but can be
surfaces. easily erased with
- Can be picked –off ordinary rubber.
by means of any - Sometimes, fibers are
pointed instrument pasted on the surface
- Luminous under that can be removed
ultra the violet light by agitating the fiber.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
SECURITY THREAD

- Special thread placed - Faked by means of

vertically on the paper printing a vertical
during its line either in front or
manufacture.
at the back of note.
- Appears as a broken
line for 5’s, 10’s, 20’s.
- Straight line for 50’s,
100’s, 200’s, and 500’s.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
PORTRAIT

- Appears life-like
- Appears “dead”, dull,
- The eyes “sparkle” smudgy and poorly printed.
Shadings are formed by fine - Eyes do not sparkle
lines that give a - The concentric lines
characteristics facial depicting the eyes often
merge into solid printed
expression which is areas. The hair strands are
extremely difficult to not discernable.
replicate.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
SERIAL NUMBER

- Prefix (es) and numbers - Letter (s) and numbers

(normally six digits) are are poorly printed.
clearly printed. - Usually of different style
- Have a peculiar style - Not evenly-spaced and are
and are uniform and poorly aligned, either too
alignment is even. big or too thin and in
certain cases, shaded on the
Ink used is special that curves.
fluoresces under an ultra
- No reaction under the
violet light.
ultraviolet light.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
BACKGROUND/ LACE DESIGN

- Background designs are - Background designs

multi- colored and are are often blurred and
composed of sharp lines blotched on the
which are continuous and intersections resulting in
traceable even at the joints. a different color scheme
making the general
- Lacework design are fine, appearance pale or dark.
web like criss-crossing lines
which are continuous and
traceable even at the joints.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
LATENT IMAGE/ CONCEALED VALUE

- True only for 500 - Counterfeit note

denomination usually contain this
- Located at the lower feature, if ever, the
left corner of the face figure “500” is not
of the note. recognizable as the
- Recognizable when genuine, even when
the note is held at the held in the same
eye level. manner.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
MICROPRINTS

- Microprints are - Microprints are not

clearly printed and clear and fine as the
readable. genuine and not
- Present only readable.
denomina-tions of
50, 100, 500, and
1000.
 RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFEIT PESO COIN
GENUINE
Genuine coins below show an even of metallic
grains. The details of the profile , the letterings and
numerals are of high relief that they can be felt
distinctly by running the fingers on these features.
The readings are deep and even.
COUNTERFEIT
Most counterfeit coins feel greasy and appear
slimy. The letterings and numerals are low and
worn out due to lack of sharpness and show signs of
filing. The readings are irregular and uneven.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
SPECIAL FEATURES

- Also called invisible - Imitated by using

print, the fluorescent a yellow- orange
print is one feature that ink is visible even
appears at the center of under normal
the face of the note condition.
which is not seen by the
naked eye except by the
use of ultraviolet light.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES

PRINTING

- Generally, the registry of the different

printed features is perfect.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
 VALUE PANEL

- Numerals found at the four corners of

the front and back of the note denoting the
denomination.
RECOGNIZING GENUINE FROM
COUNTERFIET PESO NOTES
 COLOR

- Have a polychrome background with one predominant

color for each denomination.
1000-peso BLUE
500-peso YELLOW
100-peso MAUVE
50-peso RED
20-peso ORANGE
10-peso BROWN
5-peso GREEN
 CLEAN NOTE POLICY
1. Fit Note
• Fairly clean that is very obvious in genuine
• Paper note is so strong that it can withstand
prolonged ordinary wear and tear.
• When held at one end is one hand and
pressured into a slightly concave shape
lengthwise the paper note should sustain
itself substantially on a line with the hand.
CLEAN NOTE POLICY
2. Unfit Note
It shall not be recirculated , but may presented for
exchange or deposited with any bank.
• Paper note that contains heavy creases which breaks
the fiber of the paper and indicate that disintegrations
has begun.
• Paper note that is badly soiled to be offensive and/ or
with writings that make it dirty even if it has a proper
life or sizing.
• Paper note that presents a limp or rag like
appearance. Mere creasing or wrinkling that has not
broken nor weakened note, does not render the note
unfit.
 CLEAN NOTE POLICY
3. Mutilated Note
It shall not be recirculated nor deposited/
exchanged, but may be presented or forwarded, for
determination of their redemption/ exchange value to
BSP or to its nearest regional office.
• Torn parts of banknote are joined together with
adhesive tape in a manner which tries to preserve as
nearly as possible the original design and size of the
note.
• The original size of the note has been reduced/ lost
through wear and tear or has been otherwise torn,
damaged, defaced or perforated trough action of
insects, chemicals or other causes.
 CLEAN NOTE POLICY

• It is scorched or burn to such an extent

that although recognizable as such, it has
become frail and brittle as to render
further handling thereof, impossible
without disintegration or breaking.
• It is split edgewise
• It has lost all the signatures inscribed
thereon.
“Make it a HABIT to FEEL and LOOK
at all currency being received so that the
FINGER & the EYES will become
FAMILIAR with all the above
mentioned features of genuine Bangko
Sentral notes and coins”.
 “COMPARE a doubtful note/coin with
a known genuine one of the same
denomination / series”.

“ Always REMIT all doubtful Bangko

Sentral notes/coins to the Police or the Cash
Department, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for
verification”.
IF YOU SUSPECT A COUNTERFEIT
NOTE…
WHAT TO DO?
• Do not return it to the passer
• Delay the passer by some excuse, if possible, without
risking harm.
• Observe and record the passer’s appearance and that
of his/ her companion/s.
• Note the license plate number and make of the passer’s
car.
• Write your initials and the date on an unprinted potion
of the suspected bill.
• Place the note in a protective envelope.
“In case you get hold of a doubtful
note please contact the Police or
the
Cash Department,
Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas”.
 CARE, PRESERVATION AND HANDLING OF
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EVIDENCE
• Disputed documents should not be cut, torn or in
any manner mutilated in the slightest degree.
• Documents should not be touched with an eraser or
any kind, nor with pen, pencil, or sharp instrument
of any character.
• Documents should not be folded in any new place.
• Documents should not be folded and unfolded
unnecessarily
 CARE, PRESERVATION AND HANDLING OF
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EVIDENCE
• Except by special permission, no chemicals should
be applied to papers in any manner that will injure
or deface them and test of this kind should be
made only by those properly qualified to make
them.
• Never point closely at letters or any parts of it with
a pencil.
• Sharp pointed dividers or measuring instruments
should not be put on a questioned writing except
with the greatest care and only by those skilled in
the used of instrument, and a direct tracing should
not be made of it by anyone at anytime.
Thank you and good day.