HANDWRITTEN FORGERY DETECTION SERVICES

by Joelle Steele

I have been providing handwritten forgery detection services since 1977. I offer three services: Signature Authentication, Handwriting Authentication, and Expert Declarations. I do NOT analyze handwriting for personality characteristics.

Accuracy is critical in any analysis, so please follow the instructions below very carefully.

INSTRUCTIONS

Signature Authentication – $150.

1) Scan the questioned signature and a minimum of three authentic signatures (exemplars) for comparison. Scan only, do NOT send photos of signatures.
2) Scan at high resolution, 600 dpi to 1200 dpi.
3) If your scanner has options, select "color photo" (best) or "black and white document" (acceptable).
4) Save the files as JPGs, named and numbered so that I can identify them (e.g., questioned signature.jpg, exemplar-1.jpg, exemplar-2.jpg, exemplar-3.jpg).
5) E-mail your images as attachments to joellesteele@joellesteele.com.

Please do NOT send me any of the following:
a. images made from faxes, photocopies, or photographs
b. composites, overlays, PDFs, zipped files, or links to images on Web sites
c. photos of signatures written on a digital signature device
d. images that have been enhanced or altered in any way.
e. originals or prints by US Mail.

Please supply background information about the signee/writer:
- approximate date signature was made
- approximate age of signee when they signed (and any health conditions they have/had)
- type of document signed (letter, contract, receipt, etc.)
- type of paper used (ordinary white paper, colored paper, textured paper, linen, onion skin, etc.)
- type of writing implement used (pencil, ballpoint pen, marker pen, fountain pen, etc.)

I will look at your images to see if they are clear enough to be analyzed. I will then respond to your E-mail and say whether or not I can analyze them. After I confirm to you that I can analyze your signatures, please make your payment of $150 to joellesteele@joellesteele.com at PayPal.

You will receive a simple yes/no email response as to whether or not your signature is authentic, plus a very brief explanation as to why that determination was made. Turnaround time depends on how busy I am, but 1-3 working days is about average.

Handwriting Authentication – $250 and up
Everything in the Signature Authentication instructions above applies to the analysis of an entire handwritten document (cursive or printing). The price varies according to the length of the document, and I will quote you a firm price once I see the document and exemplars. Turnaround varies considerably depending on the length of the document.

If a document cannot be scanned completely flat (as with diaries or other bound formats), I will need to see the original document. Otherwise, please attach to your email: clear scans of your questioned document and at least three exemplars explaining everything you know about the questioned document and the exemplars to joellesteele@joellesteele.com.

Expert Declaration – $600
Please be advised that when I write a Declaration, I do NOT advocate for a specific litigant, and this is always stated clearly in my Declarations. I am only seeking to determine whether or not a signature is authentic.
I generally provide my signed Declarations on pleading paper. If you want to place my text on your own pleading paper, just let me know and I'll send you a Word doc instead. However, please be aware that I will not sign a Declaration that has anything in it that I did not write, or anything omitted that I did write. The same instructions used for Signature Authentication and Handwriting Authentication are necessary for me to do a Declaration. Turnaround time for the Signature Authentication is about 1-3 days, and about 3-5 days for a Declaration.

Handwriting Authentication varies in turnaround time and price according to the length of the document, which I will quote to you once I receive a clear scan of the entire document. After I confirm to you that I can do the Signature Authentication, please make a payment of $2000. If you want me to proceed to doing the Declaration after the signature is analyzed, please make an additional payment of $500. Please make your payments to joellesteele@joellesteele.com at PayPal, or send a check payable to Joelle Steele, PO Box 8492, Lacey, Washington 98509-8492.