Ch. 7 Questioned Documents Flashcards
biometrics
a technology using features of the human body for identfication
block capitals
uppercase, unjoined letters
class characteristic
a feature that is common to a group of items
cursive
a type of writing in which the letters are joined and the pen is not lifted after writing each letter
electrostatic detection apparatus (ESDA)
an instrument used to visualize writing impressions
erasure
the removal of writing or printing from a document
forgery
when a person creates a document (or other object) or alters an existing document (or object) in an attempt to deceive other individuals, whether for profit or for other nefarious purposes, such as entering the country illegally
freehand method
a forged signature that was created by simulation rather than by tracing
individual characteristic
a feature that is unique to a specific item
infrared luminescence
light given off in the infrared region when ink is irradiated with visible light
initial stroke
the first stroke leading into a letter or signature
intaglio
a printing method in which a metal printing plate is engraved, producing a raised image on the document
- used for security printing
documents with intaglio
(1) money
(2) passports
(3) identity documents
letterpress printing
a printing method in which detail is raised off the printing plate, which results in a corresponding indentation of the characters of the printed document
lithography
a printing method in which an image is transferred from a printing plate to an offset sheet and then onto the document
- resulting image is not raised or indented
questioned document
an object that contains typewritten handwritten information but whose authenticity has not yet been definitely proven
radio frequency identification (RFID) chip
a computer chip that uses communication via a radio frequency to uniquely identify an object, such as a visa
reticle
a network of fine lines in the eyepiece of a microscope that allows the examiner to measure the distance between magnified objects
screen printing
a printing method in which ink is passed through a screen
script
a writing style characterized by lowercase unjoined letters
terminal stroke
the final stroke trailing away from a letter, word, or signature
thin-layer chromatography (TLC)
a technique used for separating components in a mixture
- used to separate components of different inks
trace-over method
the copying of a genuine signature by tracing over it
watermark
a translucent design impressed into more expensive paper during its manufacture
A(n) _______ is a document (or other object) that contains typewritten or handwritten information whose authenticity is in question.
questioned document
_______ is the process of making or adapting objects or documents with the intention to deceive
forgery
The handwriting of young children who write block letters has ________ characteristics.
class
Cursive handwriting exhibits ________ characteristics.
class
There are three basic types of handwriting: ________, ________, and _________.
block capitals; cursive; script
A(n) _______ is an eyepiece that contains a grid of fine lines that is placed on the magnifier to determine the position of the letters being examined.
reticle
It is important to determine both the ________ in which the pen strokes were created and the order in which they were made.
direction
Handwriting analysis that indicates circular movement of the pen in a clockwise direction indicates ________ (left/right)-handedness.
left-handedness
The trace-over method places the document to be forged ______ (under/over) the paper containing the authentic signature.
over
Examination of a forged document under ________ light will reveal if a pencil was used first and ink applied over it.
infrared
It is possible to lift an authentic signature that was made with a pen containing _________ ink up to an hour after the signature was made.
erasable ink
The removal of ink from a document by chemical bleaching can be determined by examination of the discolorations in the paper surface _______ to the bleached ink surface under the microscope.
adjacent
Many inks, when they are irradiated with blue-green light, will absorb the blue-green radiation and then give off the radiation in the ________.
infrared
A document examiner uses optical methods to examine inks first because these techniques are ________.
not destructive
preserve the evidence
Inks that look identical in color but have different chemical compositions may provide evidence of an alteration when examined using illumination in the _______ region of the spectrum.
infrared
When examining ink, the document may be illuminated with near-infrared illumination and its image then examined sequentially through a series of _________.
optical filters
If the masking ink used to conceal underlying writing is transparent to near-infrared light and the underlying ink is opaque, the examiner may reveal the underlying information by using ______ light and a suitable infrared filter.
infrared
If the masking ink used to conceal underlying writing is transparent to visible light and the underlying ink is fluorescent, the examiner may reveal the masked information by illuminating the document with intense ______ light, some of which will penetrate the masking ink and induce the underlying ink to fluoresce.
visible
The most common chemical technique used to analyze ink is _______.
thin-layer chromatography (TLC)
A(n) ______ is the leading technology for detecting indented writing on questioned documents.
electrostatic detection apparatus (ESDA)
Letters formed by a typewriter produces ________ (individual/class) characteristics.
individual
Specks or marks on photocopies called _______ are caused by dirt or scratches on the glass window on which the original document is placed.
trash marks
The most common features of paper that are easily measured are the _______, _______, and _________.
color, weight & brightness
An examiner can determine whether the paper used for two documents was produced by different manufacturers by stacking the questioned and standard paper next to each other and observing any differences in ______.
dimensions
The thickness of paper sheets can be measured by using a(n) ______.
micrometer
Some expensive paper, when held up to the light, displays a translucent design called a(n) ________.
watermark
In the future, U.S. passports will contain a(n) ________ chip, which the government hopes will make passports harder to counterfeit.
radio frequency identification (RFID)
