The photograph of the original owner is removed and a new photograph put in its place. Photo substitution is the most common form of passport fraud. Alterations to a genuine document like a passport may include photo substitutions, page substitutions, mechanical and chemical erasures. Identity and security documents such as passports, visas, and driver’s licenses are targets for alterations as well. All of these characteristics must be carefully analyzed and a conclusion based on the entirety of the document. Often the alteration will demonstrate a style of typewriting/printing that is not consistent with the rest of typewritten/printed certificate or a printing process that was not commercially available when the stock certificate was issued. With stock certificates, alterations may occur with the typewriting or printing process used to produce the certificate. These light sources can show a reaction in the paper that a chemical was applied or that a different pen was used to raise the dollar amounts on the checks. Another option is check washing: where a check will be intercepted, washed and presented as a legitimate check.ĭetection of these types of alterations may be done by examining the check under alternate light sources such as ultraviolet and infrared. Personal checks are altered by using a similar type of writing ink and raising the dollar amount and adding words to the written entries. Still other documents are altered to gain benefits like health care forms, child custody agreements, employment contracts, and social security cards.Īlterations of financial documents such as checks and stock certificates are frequently examined by document examiners. Other documents are altered for the free movement of people like passports and visas. It’s important when evaluating characteristics of alterations because they may occur in the normal preparation, handling, and storage of the documents.Ĭommon Type of Documents That Usually Alteredįinancial documents are altered for obvious reasons and include checks, wills, deeds, trusts, and stock certificates. Spouses are authorized to endorse checks for deposit, a bookkeeper may be authorized to sign checks for the company president. There are explanations, for example, why signatures may be prepared by someone other than the author. Why? Is there a reason or necessity why this is occuring? Making that determination about “intent” is not up to a document examiner to decide but should be decided by the triers of fact in a courtroom. The intent of the writer who is signing someone else’s signature is similar to determining the intent when someone is altering documents. A document examiner will use a variety of techniques including alternate light sources, magnification, detection of indented impressions, side lighting, transmitted lighting, and others in a non-destructive method to examine the document for characteristics indicative of alterations.Īn alteration is the unauthorized modification of a security document and can occur for a variety of reasons.Īltering Document After It Has Been Signed Sometimes an alteration may occur to critical entries after a document has been signed and/or paragraphs, words, or pages have been inserted, removed, or replaced creating forged documents. An alteration is a modification made to a document by physical, chemical, or mechanical means including, but not limited to, obliterations, additions, overwritings, or erasures.
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