Fake recipes and bills with extra zeros: what fakes are revealed by Minsk forensic experts

Senior expert of the expert and forensic department for the Soviet district of Pervomaisky (Minsk) interdistrict department of the State Committee for Forensic Examinations Marina Kiriluk told the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency about frequent forgeries and research methods.

M. Kiriluk graduated from the investigative and expert faculty of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the specialty “forensic expertise”. It was granted the right to independently conduct forensic examinations in 7 types, including forensic technical examination of document details.

Glued to zero

Marina Sergeevna, what documents are most often forged?

- Often, the study receives driving licenses, sick leave, prescriptions of doctors, certificates of registration of vehicles and even passports. The specialist determines whether they are manufactured by an enterprise producing products of this type.

Completely forged documents (especially Belarusian ones) are rare. Basically, they are made any changes.

- What about the banknotes?

- In most cases, there is a complete forgery, that is, the banknote is not made by an enterprise producing products of this type. Sometimes there are genuine banknotes that have been modified. For example, a 5-dollar “craftsmen” turned into a $50 bill.

- It is believed that a fresh fake can be easily aged. Does this method work?

An expert, using technical means and special knowledge, will still determine that it is a fake.

Extra level fake

- Which is more common in practice: crude technical forgery or high-tech forgery?

- In the first case, these are primitive attempts of deception, designed for inattention, haste or low qualification of the inspector. For example, it can be a ticket of a “bask of jokes” or souvenir products. Their attackers are trying to pass for real money or ID.

In the second case, the main methods of producing documents, their security elements are reproduced, for the establishment of which it is necessary to use the full range of research methods available in the arsenal of a specialist. There are counterfeit Federal Reserve notes of such high quality that they differ only in micro-signatures, which can be identified only by an expert with knowledge in this field.

High-tech counterfeiting requires colossal resources, high costs and professionalism of performers. A fake as close as possible to the original is often more expensive than the benefit that can be derived from it in the future.

Often, the original documents are changed by cleaning, etching, washing, striking out, smearing. I once went to a hospital where the number “1” was changed to “7” in order to extend it. Sometimes citizens find someone else's disability certificate, on the basis of which free travel is provided in public transport, paste their photo into the document and use it.

The photo is illustrative in nature

In the invisible rays

- Did the emergence of neural networks, deepfakes and laser plotters complicate the work?

- These technologies have changed some approaches not only in forensic technical expertise of document details, but also in other forms.

Currently, there are methodological recommendations for the study of new types of objects. So, handwriting experts determine whether the signature is made by a pen or plotter. For portrait examination, there is a list of signs that allows you to establish that a particular object was created using neural networks.

Available to many modern technologies change the approach when conducting examinations, requiring constant development and improvement.

- How does ultraviolet and infrared light help you see what’s hidden from your normal eye?

- This is one of the main and significant methods of forensic technical examination of document details.

UV rays are used to observe the visible luminescence of hidden and visually impaired images that could be removed, for example, in the study of the sympathetic ink of invisibility pens. IR rays have a greater penetrating ability, they are used in the study of crossed out, flooded records. Many inks and dyes interact differently with IR rays, even if they appear to be the same color, which allows you to determine whether any changes have been made to the document.

Photo is illustrative, pexels.com

- Is it true that it is better to use pens with gel or ink composition when signing - allegedly they are more difficult to clean up imperceptibly, unlike ballpoint ones?

- Modern manufacturers offer products with different compositions. The expert will not be difficult to find out which writing device the recording was made. He or she has sufficient knowledge and experience to determine how to amend the document.

To make it more difficult for an attacker to change a signature, it must intersect with the printed text, graphing line or print impression. Although the presence of such intersections complicates the work during handwriting examination, we can always apply the above methods of research to establish the truth.

The most important thing in the work of an expert

1. 1.Critical thinking, ability to notice details, patience, ability to think logically.
2. 2.Objectivity and honesty. It is necessary to pass through the facts, clearing them of assumptions, and compare them to arrive at the right conclusion.
3. 3.Follow a clear algorithm, demonstrate expert initiative.
4. 4.Loyalty to the profession. When an expert does not just follow standards, but looks for ways to make the work interesting and effective, he feels a desire to grow and develop in this direction.

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