documentation examination Flashcards
what does FDE mean?
forensic document examination
what is the definition of FDE
forensic discipline in which expert examiners evaluate documents disputed in the legal system
what does ASTM mean?
american society for testing and materials
what does the ASTM do?
publishes standards for the methods
what does an examiner do for the ASTM?
makes scientific examinations, comparisons, and analyses of documents
what are the four steps for examiners in the ASTM?
- establish genuineness or non-genuineness, or to expose forgery or to reveal alterations, additions or deletions
- identify or eliminate persons as the source of handwriting
- identify or eliminate the source of typewriting or other impression, marks, or relative evidence, and
- write reports or give testimony, when needed, to aid the usters of the examiner’s services in understanding the examiner’s findings
what are the physical methods of documentation examination?
use of instruments and different light sources for the examination of the documents for different purposes
T/F: physical examinations are non-destructive.
true
T/F: chemical examinations are non-destructive.
false
what do chemical document examinations involve?
ink examination, paper examination etc.
what is the best way to view obliterated writing?
infrared luminescence
T/F: infrared reflectance and infrared luminescence will reveal obliterated writings
false, reflectance will not yield the same outcome.
what is a way to use infrared light?
for checks, the ink used to make the check and ink used to alter the check will react differently.
how will infrared images from two areas of a printed banknote change?
on a banknote at the flower is based on peak calcium carbonate.
the background pattern is based on a carbonyl peak of an ink component
T/F: the less ink that is present at the surface, the weaker the FTIR signal will be.
true
what are common destructive equipment?
LC, GC, MS, and TLC
what kind of document machines have databases?
typewriters, fax machines, or printers
what does FISH stand for?
Forensic Information System for Handwriting
what does FISH do?
database for handwriting samples from tens of thousands of writers
what does the International Ink Library do?
contains data on more than 15k inks that have been manufactured since 1920
who maintains FISH?
US Secret Service
what does fish enable for document examiners? how is this plotted?
scan and digitize an extended body of handwriting, then plotted as arithmatic and geometric values
what does the international ink library do?
chemically analyze and compare them with library specimen
what might the international ink library identify? what can they determine?
type and brand of writing instrument, can determine the earliest possible date that document could have been made
if the sample of ink matches an international ink library what happens?
a notation is made in the database
T/F: in the international ink library needs assistance the US secret service provides assistance to law enforcement on a case by case basis.
true
what is one of the main factors in illegal immigration and human trafficking?
identity and travel document forgery.
how many fraudulent travel documents does the Canada Border Services Agency find each year?
over 5000
what helps agencies from different countries share information in interpol cases?
Dial-Doc
what can be shared through Dial-Doc?
alerts, tips, and trends in document counterfeiting
what do Dial-Doc alerts give?
detailed technical information and high resolution images of both fraudulent and real documents
What are counterfeits?
unauthorized reproduction of a genuine document
what are forgeries
alteration of a genuine document
what are pseudo-documents
documents which are not officially recognized
in 2019 how many fraudulent passports were found?
3,582
for document fraud, what percentage do counterfeit documents make up?
52.6%
what type of crime makes up 19.5% of document fraud?
altered data
for document fraud, what percentage do fake biopages make up?
27.5%
what type of crime makes up 0.3% of document fraud?
split and altered
T/F: there is international norms when it comes to classification of security features.
false, there is none
what is the first tier for evaluation of security features?
checks can be made with human senses under natural daylight, and without the use of any specialized tools. the controller will tilt, observe, or feel the feature to authenticate it.
what is the second tier for evaluation of security features?
controllable using a simple verification tool, which will be widely available
what are examples of a simple verification tool
UV lamp (UV-A 365nm), or a magnifier
what is the third tier for evaluation of security features?
verification demands a specific tool and/or forensic means - typically a microscope and/or a video spectral comparator
what are the limitations of forensic document examination?
- non-original evidence
- insufficient quantity of questioned materials
- insufficient quality
- lack of comparability between the questioned documents and the known samples
- insufficient known specimens submitted for comparison
- lack of contemporaneous writings submitted for comparison
- distortion or disguised writing
what book changed a ton in document examination?
questioned documents
what changed came about from the publication of questioned documents?
- forensic document examiner training
- standards in forensic document examination
- cognitive bias and handwriting examination
- technological advancements
what did the NAS report do for terminology?
developed terms for expressing subjective conclusions of handwriting comparison and identification
what is the nine-point NAS report scale.
- Identification (definite conclusion)
- strong probability (evidence is persuasive)
- probable (points strongly towards identification)
- indications that the same person did create both samples (there are a few significant features
- no conclusion (limiting factors and lack of comparable writing)
- indications that the same person did NOT create both samples (same weight as indications with weak opinion)
- probably did not (evidence is quite strong)
- strong probably did not (virtual certainty)
- elimination (highest degree of confidence)
what are the NAS report-recommendations
- scientific basis for handwriting comparisons needs to be strengthened
- there may be a scientific basis for handwriting comparison, at least in the absence of intentional obfuscation or forgery
- there has been only limited research to quantify the reliability and replicability of the practices used by trained document examiners
what did the NAS report committee agree?
that there may be some value in handwriting analysis
What happened in R. v. Dobis?
Dobis wrote 21 company cheques made payable to himself, his corporation or his stock brokerage accounts and he forged Christie’s signature because Christie was the only person with signing authority
how much did Dobis steal in R. v. Dobis
$1.9 million over three-years while employed as accounting manager
what were the charges for R v. Fairbarn?
- two counts of uttering a forged prescription for fentanyl
- one count of possession of fentanyl for trafficking
- one count of possession of stolen property
