Chemometric Approaches in Questioned Documents

Questioned documents comprehend analysis of identity theft, forged signatures or texts, documents alterations and falsification of security documents or banknotes. Questions involving inks or paper require chemical analysis, and multivariate analysis or chemometrics has been an emerging tool for data evaluation and interpretation after instrumental data collection in this area. The goal of this study is to identify previous articles that applied multivariate analysis within questioned documents for forensic purposes. The search for articles was performed in four databases (Google Scholar, Science Direct, Pubmed and Scopus). Sixty studies, published in the last ten years, were selected. Thirty-four articles described pen inks analysis; fourteen articles comprehended printed documents studies; eight articles evaluated paper analysis, and four articles included banknotes analysis. Spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, chromatography, thermo gravimetric analysis and multivariate image analysis were the analytical methods applied to collect chemical data. Chemometrics methods included mainly unsupervised pattern recognition techniques, regression methods, and supervised pattern recognition techniques, amongst other methods. This review summarized and discussed multivariate analysis techniques applied in different questioned documents sub-areas, highlighting the importance of this knowledge for forensic analysts. In addition, it shows new research topics such as different printing and pen inks, papers and security documents analysis herein not included.

Anachronism in Fonts and Relative Dating of Computer Printed Documents: A Case Report

In the field of forensic document examination, identification of fonts and their dates of release may provide a lead as to the relative age of computer printouts. Hence, fonts in a printout can be used as a means of evaluation of an anachronism or chronological inconsistency. Therefore, an anachronism betrays the fabricated nature of the questioned documents. In the present case study, the traditional methodology of typescript matching coupled with an off-line digital tool were used in identifying pre-dated documents and disproving the genuineness of the documents in question. The procedure adopted for differentiation, identification and confirmation of font(s) and years of release of fonts for commercial use is discussed.Hence, in this case report it was safely concluded that the disputed agreement for sale could have been prepared on a later date than the purported date of execution i.e.1993 for the reason that the use of the “Comic Sans MS” font is an anachronism.

Algorithm for the preliminary study the copies of handwritten details in framework the production of handwriting examination

The possibility of refi ning and unifying the algorithm of preliminary examination of copies of documents to establish their suitability/unsuitability for further research is considered. Examples of the possibility of establishing the fact of signs of editing in copies of documents presence are given. Empowerment the fi eld of handwriting examiners training through introducing special knowledge from the fi elds of questioned documents examination and computer forensic into the training program is proposed. The stages of the proposed algorithm are analyzed sequentially. The author’s algorithm for preliminary examination of copies of documents containing handwritten requisites images is given. Arguments in favor of the practical possibility of producing handwriting examination of copies of handwritten requisites are given. The correlation of examination of copies and originals of handwritten requisites have been undertaken. Illustrations demonstrating the dependence of the ability to evaluate some features on the resolution of the image of a handwritten object are presented.