Monday 19 September 2011 Topic: Forgery

1. Monday 19 September 2011Topic: Forgery DO NOW: Brainstorm as many circumstances as you can in which someone might commit document fraud. OBJECTIVES: • Explain why someone might commit fraud. • Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected. HW: Read the article about Digital Image Forensics and make a list of all the methods by which photo-doctoring can be detected. AGENDA: • Document fraud brainstorm • Forgery detection • Create handwriting sample to analyze next class

2. Share Out • With your elbow partner, take 2 min to discuss all the ideas you were able to brainstorm during the do now. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

3. Vocabulary! Forgery: 1. the crime of falsely making or altering a writing by which the legal rights or obligations of another person are apparently affected; simulated signing of another person's name to any such writing whether or not it is also the forger's  name. 2. the production of a spurious work that is claimed to be genuine, as a coin, a painting, or the like. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

4. Vocabulary! Fraud: • deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage. THUS… FORGERY is one type of FRAUD OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

5. Handwriting Analysis • Expert in handwriting is a document examiner, who often testifies in court • Most frequently requested type of document analysis • By adulthood, a person’s handwriting is as exclusive as their speech OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

6. No Two the Same… • Document examiner will look at the class characteristics and individual characteristics of the letters in the document in question • Class characteristics = features and dimensions of the letters (e.g. connections of letters to each other, capitalization, punctuation, etc) • Individual characteristics = unique features of the letters ***OFTEN THE KEY TO DETECTING FORGERY*** OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

7. Comparison: • The handwriting sample for comparison is called the standard • Standard is obtained from 2 sources: • Requested writing (an individual writes a dictated text) • Collected writing (comes from before the investigation began – may be signatures on canceled checks or written applications) OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

8. 12 Characteristics for Comparison: • Line quality • Spacing of words/letters • Ratio of height, width, and size of letters • Lifting pen • Connecting strokes (letters connected on purpose) • Strokes to begin and end • Unusual letter formation • Pen pressure • Slant • Baseline habits • Fancy writing habits • Placement of diacritics OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

9. Thursday 21 September 2011Topic: Ink analysis DO NOW: • What were a few methods by which photo-forgery can be detected? • In what types of circumstances might somebody do this? • In terms of legal action, what consequence do you believe is appropriate for this type of forgery? Why? OBJECTIVES: • Use chromatography in order to differentiate between various ink types. • Describe why a chromatogram analysis is an important step in a document forgery investigation. HW: • Ink Chromatography post lab questions AGENDA: • What is chromatography? • Perform ink analysis! • Provide handwriting sample.

10. What is chromatography? • The separation of a mixture into its components to be used for further analysis. • Paper chromatography relies upon a solvent and capillarity. • Solvent = a liquid that is attracted to parts of the mixture and pulls the components apart • Capillarity = the ability of a liquid to travel up against gravity

11. LAB PROTOCOL • Before we perform the activity, we need to establish procedures for using the lab portion of the classroom.

12. CHROMATOGRAPHY • DEMONSTRATION TIME! • After the demo, follow the directions to perform the activity • While waiting for your lab to run, you are to provide a handwriting sample so we can continue the analysis from Monday.

13. Handwriting sample • In our next class, we will be analyzing multiple handwriting samples in order to determine who committed forgery. • On a new sheet of paper, copy the following IN YOUR NORMAL WRITING STYLE: • Could you select your signature if it were mixed in with a group of similar signatures? When you get a letter in the mail, can you identify its author from the handwriting? Because handwriting is very individualistic, you can usually recognize your own handwriting and that of a good friend. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.

14. Friday 23 September 2011Topic: Handwriting analysis DO NOW: (on separate sheet) • What was challenging about the activity? • How might you change things if you were to redo it? • What did the activity illustrate about the accuracy of ink analysis? OBJECTIVES: • Discuss the challenges of performing an analysis. • Determine who provided a faulty document based upon point analysis. HW: • Study Units 1 & 2 for quest on Monday • Organize notes/hw for check on Monday AGENDA: • Chromatography summary discussion • Performing a trace analysis of handwriting

15. Chromatography Summary • What should you have gotten out of the lab? • Not all ink types can be analyzed using this method • Different brands have different components, making it easier to tell if somebody forged information on a document at a later date. • The same type of analysis can be done in multiple ways (i.e. using H2O or ethanol as a solvent) • H2O as a solvent can analyze more brands BUT • Alcohol as a solvent analyzes in more detail

16. Handwriting analysis • Handwriting has many many many different aspects to analyze. • The most straightforward and fastest type of analysis is point analysis. • General method: • Using trace paper (or software), you trace the tips of letters to see the up-down pattern that someone’s handwriting creates.

17. Point Analysis Protocol • With the document provided to you, firmly attach a piece of trace paper over the handwriting sample (tape or staple) • Each time a letter peaks, make a dot on the peak. • Once you have dotted every peak on the trace paper, detach it from the sample. • Using a straight edge, connect all the dots to reveal the unique up-down pattern. • Tape your final product to the board so that everyone can observe the differences.

18. EXIT TICKET • Qualifications of a Forensic Document Examiner • Read the provided excerpt about the field of forensics document examination and respond to the prompt. Extra credit on the quest: Print another handwring sample from the website and analyze it to turn in on Monday. OBJECTIVES: Explain why someone might commit fraud. Describe the methods by which document forgery is detected.