INTRODUCTION TO ANONYMOUS LETTER AND

DISGUISE HANDWRITING

Richard C. Kashindye
Assistant Lecturer in Forensic Science
UDOM
 ANONYMOUS LETTER
 Is the letter from unknown name or author.
 the letter sent from the unknown person without
any name.
 If the letter is threatening, or in any way likely to
cause a breach of the peace, then the writer puts
himself in peril of legal proceedings. .
 Whilst many cases are dealt with as civil offences,
writers of blackmailing, threatening and
criminally libelous letters come within the ambit
of the criminal law and are liable to long sentence
of imprisonment.
 If anonymous letters are of threatening or
blackmailing character efforts are made to detect
the offender wherever the offence takes place
 EXAMPLES OF ANONYMOUS LETTER

Blackmailing letters. Letters of revenge:

 Money are demanded.
 instructions whereby the money is to pass from the victim
to the blackmailer.
 Contain some reason why the victim should be called
upon to pay.
 Promise that the current demand is positively and
definitely the last
Threatening letters:
 Are letters containing threats designed to extort money or
to obtain other property.
 It is important to distinguish between those threats which
are real and intended to terrorist ,
 Others which are so extravagant that the writer is never
 They contain allegations of some wrongful
act on the part of the person it is desired to
harm in the hope of bringing them into
conflict with authority.
 Letters sent to the police, tax officials,
customs and excise, and to those in authority
in business and other organizations
Spiteful letters
 The letters with the intent of malicious and
spite are also the range of anonymous letters
which contains abusive and rude language.
 DISGUISE HANDWRITING

 Any departure/change from normal handwriting habits.

 There are two types of disguise handwriting

i. Deliberate disguise handwriting

ii. Accidental disguise handwriting

.
 DELIBERATE DISGUISE HANDWRITING

 Any deliberate departure/change from normal handwriting habits

 Deliberate disguised handwriting is used by individuals who wish to avoid identification

 The attempt to disguise is more likely to be successful when the text is short rather than if it is

lengthy, as keeping up an effective disguise is hard to maintain.

 ACCIDENTAL DISGUISE HANDWRITING

Accidental disguise handwriting

 Accidental or natural variation occurs due to:

Variation on writing surface

 Is the unconscious variations occurring on the
Writing position
handwriting of the an individual. Effect of writing instruments

Health of the writer

Drug and alcohol intoxication

Guided hand

Impaired vision
 REASON FOR DISGUISE HANDWRITING

 Blackmailing letters

 Threatening letters:

 Ransom notes

 Check frauds/ Writing fictitious checks.

 Anonymous letter

 Submitting handwriting standards.

 Signing name with the purpose of denying signature later on

 BASIC METHOD OF DISGUISE HANDWRITING

1. Capital Letters. 6. Writing with the unaccustomed opposite hand

 A popular and frequently used method (used by
7. Using a different writing instrument
about 45% of those who wish to avoid
8. Pretending to be illiterate by using poor
recognition).
spellings or incorrect grammar.
2. Change of Slant.
9. Embellished letter forms.
3. Change of Size.
 i‟ dot (added or omitted) t cross altered.
 Although size can be easily changed, the
10. Sometimes text is cut out of newspapers and
proportions between the zones remain the same.
pasted into a message
4. Change of writing speed.

5. Blocks letter