Erasable Inks and Writings: Review with Forensic Examination Perspective

In general, alteration such as addition, obliteration and deletion etc., is standout amongst the most widely recognized kind of fraudulent cases encountered. Mainly, examination of questioned documents might be divided into non-destructive and destructive examination. Under most conditions, non-destructive visual microscopic examination and comparison against respective concerned samples are preferred to avoid any damage on the disputed documents, which have to be presented as exhibits in the court of law. Document Experts are frequently facing the problem of vanished writings including erasable or disappearing writings. To demonstrate such vanished writings, either non-destructive methods (using magnifying hand lenses, electronic microscopes, different types of light, infrared illumination) or the destructive methods by the aid of chemicals are used. Using others writing equipment in trust instead of own one, create cases of erasable ink writings. In such cases writings written through special erasable inks are erased by using a rubber and further, the writing text is changed to desired content by fraudsters. This review study explains about erasable inks as well as tools and techniques used in their examination.