020 7193 4905

Digital Forgery Investigation

High impact crime

Is Digital Forgery a big problem?

Digital Forgery and counterfeiting can impact an individual or organisation’s income, its brand name and may even have public safety and health implications. Fortunately, the creation and distribution of counterfeit materials is almost always documented in great detail on the forger’s computers and mobile telephones. Regulatory agencies and victims of counterfeiting often turn to computer forensic experts to unravel the extent of these incidents and assist in building a legal case.

Case study 1

First Response were instructed to examine a specific document which was being relied upon in a civil case for compensation as a result of breach of contract. The document related to a Service Occupancy Agreement which accompanied the job role from which the plaintiff had been dismissed. The document was believed to have been falsified to support the litigation. Key to this matter was the meta-data (the data embedded within the document recording the author, creation date and so on) which provided a clear picture and the modifications. A full report was provided resulting in the plaintiff no longer relying on the document as part of their case.

Case study 2

Analysis of computers provided by a law enforcement agency in relation to counterfeit pharmaceuticalproducts resulted in the discovery of hundreds of high-end graphics application files containing layouts and designs for the drugs packaging. Also found were a number of fake importation certificates, customs clearance documents and a treasure trove of false identity documentation, including forged university certificates, drivers licenses, utility bills and passports. Recovered email uncovered links to various other players in the conspiracy who were also arrested. A technical report was produced which was used as evidence to charge the suspects, who all pleaded guilty at court.

To find out how First Response can assist you in the area of fraud investigation, call us on 020 7193 4905

Case study 3

In a civil litigation at the High Court, First Response were instructed by the Judge to act as joint expert and determine which of two near identical copies of a land ownership contract was the unaltered original. Both Word documents were 38 pages in length and were paragraph-for-paragraph identical with one critical exception. The paragraph dealing with the ratio of compensation for the signing parties was clearly different. Analysis of the document’s internal properties showed clearly that one document had been recently edited. Delving deeper allowed us to show the deleted content prior to the edits being made, which brought it into line with the other version presented to the court. This resulted in an award to one party and the threat of criminal proceedings to the other.