Abstract

Ink analysis is an important aspect of document examination, particularly in the cases involving frauds. However, with growing awareness, fraudster has resorted to disappearing inks to commit frauds which disappears after a certain duration leaving no visible traces. These disappearing inks usually contain thymolphthalein (blue) and phenolphthalein (pink) dye which shift from a coloured state to colourless when exposed to air, acid. A novel method for perpetrating bank fraud using disappearing inks in the processing of different financial documents is currently highly popular. The analysis of ink in forensic examination has come up as a great challenge. Ink used for committing forgery are broadly classified into two categories: erasable ink and disappearing ink. Disappearing ink is used for marking system in textile industries but it may be abused in forgery and counterfeiting. It fades away without leaving any trace after a few hours upon exposure to CO2 or any other chemical present in the air. On the other hand, erasable ink can be effortlessly removed using specific rubbers integrated into each pen. Many destructive and non-destructive methods are used for the decipherment of such types of vanishing ink or magic ink. The present review represents the type, nature, properties and decipherment of disappearing and erasable ink both by using physical and chemical methods.

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