US Postal Money Order as a Questioned Document

• NCJ Number: 81506
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 27 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1982) Pages: 178-185
• Author(s): R J Muehlberger
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This article was presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Los Angeles, California, February, 1981.

Annotation

Some of the physical properties of the postal money order, as specified by the U.S. Postal Service, are presented in this paper, as are characteristics of the money order properly issued through the data recorder.

Abstract

The U.S. Postal Money Order is a negotiable instrument widely used by the general public for conducting financial transactions. The integrity of this document has occasionally been violated by those individuals bent on criminal intent. Criminal activities such as counterfeiting, altering, and raising have been used to derive illicit gain. Knowledge of the production methods of genuine postal money orders and the proper manner in which they are issued to customers is essential in detecting the fraudulent money order. Examination procedures, which can be effectively used by the document examiner to perceive those characteristics of the U.S. Postal Money Order that are indicative of genuineness, are discussed. (Author abstract)