Detection of Forgery

Experience in forensic document examination is critical, as it not only involves technical knowledge but also the ability to interpret complex findings and present them clearly and persuasively in legal settings.

With decades of experience, our senior forensic document examiner has encountered a wide range of forgery techniques—both old and new. This makes him well-suited to detect even the most sophisticated methods of document fraud, from hand-forged signatures to high-tech digital forgeries.

Detection of Forgery
Detection of Erasing

Detection of Erasing

Detecting erased contents  in documents can be approached in various ways depending on the type of document and the erasing method used.

Each method has its specific strengths and is used for identifying different erasures, whether physical, chemical, or digital.

Visual Inspection: It involves a forensic examiner carefully examining a document under different lighting conditions, at various angles, and sometimes with magnification. This method can reveal smudging, discolouration, or abrasion the the paper surface.

Ultra Violet Light: Certain inks and the erasing agents have different fluorescence properties  under UV light, making the erased content visible.

Infrared Imaging: Different inks and the erasing agents absorb or reflect infrared light in different ways. This can  distinguish the erased content from the rest of the document.

Digital Imaging and Enhancement: Scanning the document at a very high resolution and using image processing software to enhance and analyze the digital image can sometimes reveal traces of erased matter.

Electrostatic Detection Apparatus (ESDA): Helps to detect disturbance in the paper surface caused by the application of physical or chemical erasure.

Detection of Alterations

Detecting alterations in documents can be crucial in resolving important matters. 

Here are some methods commonly used by our laboratory to detect alterations:

Visual Inspection

Use of Ultraviolet (UV) light: Identifying additions or erasures by detecting variations in fluorescence between original and added materials.

Microscopy: Provides high-resolution images to analyze fine details like ink layering, paper texture, or pen strokes.

Forensic techniques such as infrared imaging and spectroscopy

Examination of documents with Video Spectral Comparator.

Detection of Alterations
Examination of Signatures

Examination of Signatures

The examination of signatures is indeed a highly specialized process that integrates expertise, forensic techniques, and advanced technologies.

Key skill are required to understand the handwriting variability and identification of individualized writing characteristics.

The questioned signature is compared with the known exemplars for consistency in characteristics. The external or internal factor influencing the signatures of an individual are also taken in consideration.

Original or a Photocopy?

Our forensic team can reliably distinguish between original documents and photocopies.

Photocopies may have inconsistencies such as graininess, pixelation, or blurred edges, especially around fine details like handwriting or small text.

Originals may include physical indentations from pen pressure and penetration of ink into the paper fibers. Photocopies reveal a surface-level deposition of toner particles, which often have a granular or “melted” appearance. The presence of satellite particles is common in laser printed documents.

Detection of Photocopies
Digital Enhancement of Faded Handwriting

Digital Enhancement of Erased Matter and Faint, Light or Faded Handwriting

Forensic digital enhancement of erased, faint, light, or faded handwriting is a meticulous process aimed at deciphering the original text. This process often requires specialized software and methodologies that go beyond basic image editing.

Our forensic document examiners use different techniques such as high-resolution scanning, image preprocessing, contrast enhancement, edge detection, multi-spectral Imaging (MSI), image subtraction technique, digital filtering and forensic software Tools to solve such matters.

Examination of Anonymous Handwriting

When authors of anonymous notes attempt to disguise their handwriting, they often employ deliberate strategies to obscure their natural writing style. Understanding these techniques is critical in forensic handwriting analysis.

Disguises can include altering slant, using non-dominant hand, changing letter forms, overemphasizing flourishes or enlarging specific letters, adding unnecessary details to distract from natural handwriting traits or writing at different speeds etc.

Examination of Anonymous Handwriting
Chronological Sequence of Strokes

Chronological Sequence of intersecting stroke

Analyzing the chronological sequence of intersecting pen lines is a key technique in forensic document examination. It helps determine which line was written first when two or more lines cross or overlap.

This analysis is often used in cases involving additions, preparation of a document over pre-existing signature, changes in the entries in the records and interpolations etc.

Our forensic team has done lots of research in this specialized field and our laboratory is fully equipped to handle this type of matters.

Deciphering Obliterations

Deciphering obliterations in documents is a critical aspect of forensic document examination. It involves specialized techniques and tools to recover hidden or obscured information

Our forensic document examiners use different techniques to decipher the obliterated matter.

Software applications are used to adjust contrast, brightness, and sharpness, making faint or obscured marks visible. A range of wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum are used to uncover information not visible under normal light conditions.

Deciphering Obliterations