Andrea le Sueur is a certified forensic document examiner CFDE® and handwriting expert based in Hout Bay, Cape Town. She is certified by the Scientific Association of Forensic Examiners (SAFE®) (USA). Holding a BA degree from UNISA, further professional studies included the Training Course in Questioned Handwriting and Document Examination (Reed Hayes CDE), Hawaii.
As a certified forensic document examiner CFDE® she is qualified to examine questioned documents in order to provide an opinion on the authenticity of signatures and the authorship of handwriting. International standards of forensic examination are applied to South African cases involving all types of document fraud. Since 2014, she has gained considerable experience in the investigation of South African cases of disputed wills, contract fraud, sick note fraud and cases requiring authorship identification. Practitioners of this profession are also known as Handwriting Experts, Forensic Graphologists, Forensic Handwriting Analysts or Questioned Document Examiners (QDE’s.)
Nowadays most numerical work is computerised. However, alterations to handwritten dates and numbers can still occur in cases of document fraud. HR, procurement, bookkeeping and accountancy departments may have to deal with altered numbers. Many types of documents can be involved, over and above the obvious ones such as invoices and receipts. Dates can be changed by the addition of a few strokes of the pen.
“This doesn’t look anything like Daddy’s signature!” It is bad enough to lose a loved one, let alone to discover a last will and testament that the heirs did not know even existed. Such a will might not actually have been signed by the testator and is therefore not a true reflection of the deceased’s wishes in regard to the distribution of the estate.
Document tampering is the act of modifying the physical properties of a document after it has been signed and concluded by the parties. It may take the form of page substitution, erasure, date alteration or content insertion after the contractual date. Tampering leaves a paper trail of evidence that can be uncovered using special equipment and techniques. These include microscopic examination under ultraviolet or infrared lighting.
Most written communication is sent via text or email these days. However, when the writer wishes to remain anonymous, handwritten letters and notes – sent via snail mail or hand-delivered, are often the preferred choice. Old fashioned handwriting, it is believed, lends itself to disguise and the concealment of identity and origin. I am able to provide an opinion on the most likely author (among a pool of suspects) of anonymous letters or threatening mail.
When it comes to document fraud or potentially fraudulent contracts or wills, attorneys and advocates often require the services of a handwriting expert. Definition of ‘Handwriting Expert’: “One who is qualified to review handwriting or signatures for purposes of authentication and to verify authorship of documents and signatures.” Reed Hayes, CDE.
Signatures are the result of a lifetime of habitual movement by the writer. They contain unique characteristics that individualise them. Even if two people have exactly the same name, their signatures will differ. No two people sign their names exactly alike. As a certified forensic document examiner CFDE® I apply internationally-recognised techniques to cases of signature verification. Advanced handwriting analysis involves the microscopic evaluation of subtle features of “movement memory”.
Andrea le Sueur is a certified forensic document examiner CFDE® and handwriting expert based in Hout Bay, Cape Town. She is certified by the Scientific Association of Forensic Examiners (SAFE®) (USA).
