"Make Your Signature Forgery Proof"

Identity Theft has been in the headlines frequently in recent months. As the crime becomes more prolific and widespread, what can you do to protect yourself?One of the most important elements is your signature. Your signature is still the legal authorization required on documents; therefore, one of the essential things you can do to prevent identity theft and fraud is to make your signature forgery-proof.

Forgery is difficult because no two people write exactly alike. It is impossible to duplicate the subconscious habits of another writer. A forger will tend to draw, rather than write, a signature. A trained forensic document examiner can identify forgery, in part, because of natural tremors that show up under microscopic examination.

Your signature is easily forged if:
- You over-simplify it (what I call “doctor’s handwriting”)
- You write slowly
- Your signature varies widely from one signing to the next
- You have a low skill levelThe best way to forgery-proof your signature is to make it consistent, and complex. The complexity of a signature is measured by how many times the lines cross one another. When possible, write using long stokes and change the direction. The more illegible the writing, the more difficult it is to forge.Use the same signature for signing all legal documents, as well as the same kind of pen and ink. If you write a lot of checks, gel-based ink is best to defend against “check washing.” Practice your signature until you become skilled at signing it rapidly, and stylize your writing until it is difficult to imitate.It is also advisable to have more than one signature: the one you use for correspondence, and one you use for signing legal documents.Remember, any unique style you can introduce to your signature to individualize it, will make it easier to prove your case, should you be the victim of forgery or identity theft.Thom Grogan is a recent graduate of the doc exam program. You can talk to him about his new career and ask his opinion about your desire to become a professional forgery expert.

Q:   What can be told from a person's signature?

A:   The signature represents what a person wants the world to see or what he wants to be, an image that may or may not be the same as the inner self.  Because a signature contains only a few letters, it does not provide enough information for the analyst to make a complete and accurate evaluation.

Q:   My signature is illegible.  What does that mean?

A:   It means people have a hard time reading your name.  Seriously, illegible handwriting can mean a number of things.  In general, an illegible signature reveals a desire to be seen but not known, keeping things private.

You may want to keep your true identity hidden.  It could also mean you are in a hurry.  People who continually sign their name all day long often do so in a hurry and, therefore, don't care what their signature looks like.  Illegible handwriting in combination with other specific traits may indicate dishonesty, but there are a lot of variables.

Q:   Why is my signature different than how I write everything else?

A:   Because the signature is a badge to the world.  It is a representation of what a person wants the world to see about himself.  A signature that is different from the rest of his writing says he does not want to reveal everything about himself.  There may be some aspect of his personality that he wants to hide, so he creates a new "person" by creating a signature with a different look.

The International School of Forensic Document Examination is now taking enrollments!

The International School of Forensics now has trained court qualified forgery experts working nationwide. Now, you can get trained too - without quitting your full-time job, while you train. Open to the public.

Visit for more information: http://www.forensicdocexamschool.com

Click here to download your application today!

http://www.forensicdocexamschool.com/handwriting_application.html

"The client gladly paid $500 for my opinion.  It was amazing that I am ready to take clients  after only eight months in the school."

- Peggy Walla, Class of 2005

"A recent Court TV program used the services of three renowned examiners to verify documents from the Lindberg Kidnapping. All the methods displayed on the program had been taught to our class! Thank you for sharing your expertise in the field of questioned document examining."

-Barbara McCreary, Class of 2006