Beyond Borders: The Art and Science of Detecting Travel Document Forgeries

Authors: Weeraratna T*

DOI: 10.23880/ijfsc-16000423

Volume 9, Issue 4

Abstract

The incorporation of security features into travel documents is a key measure to prevent illegal migration. Some of these security features include watermarks, advanced printing techniques, holograms, security threads, and stamp impressions. Any alteration of these features typically results in imperfections that can reveal a forgery. One common method for producing counterfeit documents is scanning and printing using desktop printers. However, each printing technique has unique characteristics that are difficult to replicate with standard desktop printers, especially when it comes to micro-text and the color transitions in rainbow printing. Forged documents often include digitally created stamp impressions, which lack the physical qualities of genuine stamps made with rubber or ink-based stamps. In cases involving polycarbonate residence permit cards, forgers may attempt to replace the original owner’s photo with that of an imposter by physically removing and substituting it. However, this tampering often leaves visible evidence, which helps identify the document as counterfeit.

Keywords: Security Features; Counterfeit; Stamp Impression

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