Personal Identification - Fingerprints

There are three basic fingerprint patterns: Loops, Arches and Whorls.  Everyone falls into one of these three patterns (diagram).  Within these patterns are what we call minutia points.  There are about thirty different types of minutae points, and no two people have the same types of minutae in the same number in the same places on their fingertips.  This is why our fingerprints are totally unique.

Your fingerprint patterns are hereditary.  They are formed before you are born, while you are still in the womb, they never change through out your lifetime, and they are even around for awhile after you die.  So, why are fingerprints so good for identification purposes?  They are totally unique, and they never change.  

Your fingerprints are formed underneath your skin in a layer called dermal papilae.  As long as that layer of papilae is there, your fingerprints will always come back, even after scarring or burning.  

Gloves don't necessarily help you from leaving fingerprints.  Surgical gloves were made to keep surgeons from infecting their patients.  You can actually leave prints through surgical gloves.  Surgical gloves were made to keep sterile conditions during operations.  They have to fit like a second skin for surgeons to be able to pick up their instruments. They fit so tightly that fingerprints 'pass through' the latex membrane.  They can also be turned inside out to yield fingerprints from the inside surfaces.  Leather gloves can be treated in the same manner.  Also, leather gloves can leave a print that is unique to that glove and no other (leather comes from cow skin, which is just as random as human skin).  Even cloth gloves, such as mittens, can leave a distinctive print that can be traced back to the mitten that made it.

Prints are left on a surface because we are constantly secreting water and body oils and other compounds through our pores.  This material is left on the surface we touch in the form of a fingerprint.  

Different surfaces require different techniques for developing prints.  In the movies, you usually see detectives with brushes.  They are powder processing the prints.  Minute particles of powder cling to the print residue as the brush passes over it.  The print is then lifted with tape.  Another process involves fuming.  Vapors of iodine and superglue (bonds in seconds) will coalesce inside the print residue to reveal a latent print.  

Try this at home:  You will need a zip lock baggie, a tube of superglue (the gel version works a little better) and a can of soda or drinking glass.  Place the can or glass in the zip lock baggie.  Lay the baggie flat on the counter. Squeeze out a generous amount of superglue into the baggie (don't glue the glass to the baggie).  Seal up the baggie.  If you can, blow some hot, moist air into the baggie, like when you're trying to fog up a window with your breath.  Seal it tight.  The vapors from the superglue will build up in the tiny zip lock atmosphere and creep up into the prints on the glass or can.  There, they will crystallize and, after awhile, you should see starchy white fingerprints develop on the glass or can.  

There are special processes that develop prints on paper, wood and cardboard.  Fingerprints can be developed on objects that have been in water.  Prints can be developed off of skin (such as from the neck of a strangulation victim).  There are very few surfaces on which a print cannot be developed.

Computers have revolutionized the techniques used to match fingerprints.  Until recently, the old standard was the Henry Classification System; a cumbersome sequence of letters and numbers broken down into several levels of classification.  It could take weeks, sometimes months to compare a suspect fingerprint to a department's print files.  The advent of digital technology has changed all of that. Prints can be image scanned directly into a computer, doing away with ink and fingerprint cards.  Prints can be compared at a rate of 400,000 per second.  You couldn't do that in your lifetime.

TRAINING

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

17th Annual ACFE Fraud Conference and Exhibition

CPE Credits: 44
7/9/2006 - 7/14/2006

The Venetian
3355 Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV  89109
(877) 283-6423
(702) 414-1000 (Fax)
Room Rate: $169.00 - subject to availability

Tampa Bay Chapter

Dinner Meetings

February 7, 2006
"Forensic Science & the Fraud Investigator"

March 14, 2006
"T.B.A."

April 11, 2006
"T.B.A."

7th Annual Fraud & Computer Crimes Seminar

May 9 - 10, 2006
Ruth Eckerd Hall
1111 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL 33759

2005 - 2006
OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT
Steve Hooper, CIA, CFE, CCSA
Clerk of the Circuit Court Hillsborough County, FL
(813) 276-2029 x3703

VICE PRESIDENT
Christine Dever, CPA, CFE
 

SECRETARY
Kara Preston, CFE
Polk County Sheriff's Office
(863) 499-2400

TREASURER
Laura Krueger Brock, CFE, CPA
Cherry, Bekaert, Holland, LLP
(727) 822-8811

DIRECTOR
Mark Dubina, CFE
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(813) 878-7366

DIRECTOR
Ellen Wilcox, CFE
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(727) 298-2482

DIRECTOR
Penny Borjas, CFE, CIA

CHAPTER TRAINING
Wayne Boytim, CFE
City of Tampa, Internal Audit
(813) 274-7167

It's called AFIS.  Automated Fingerprint Identification System.  Departments will input all the prints from arrests and all of the print cards they already have on file to create an historical record.  They also input all of the prints from any unsolved crimes, in the hope that a hit might come up from a routine arrest.  Local departments are linking their systems into a national database.  The FBI wants national standards and a fully functional national network in place by the year 2000.  With a national network, you could get busted in New York and have a print hit come up from a crime you committed in California.

Source: http://home.earthlink.net/~thekeither/Forensic/page6.htm

Resources

Handbook of Forensic Services

The successful investigation and prosecution of crimes require, in most cases, the collection, preservation, and forensic analysis of evidence. Forensic analysis of evidence is often crucial to determinations of guilt or innocence. The purpose of the Handbook of Forensic Services is to provide guidance and procedures for safe and efficient methods of collecting, preserving, packaging, and shipping evidence and to describe the forensic examinations performed by the FBI’s Laboratory Division and Investigative Technology Division. To view the handbook, visit http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/handbook/forensics.pdf (3.8 MB).

OnGuard Online - Your Safety Net

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of the US government recently started a new Web site designed to educate consumers about computer crime.  This is because of the growth of such crimes in the past, particularly over the last year.  You may access the information on this site from the address http://www.onguardonline.gov or click the button above.

Click on the buttons at the bottom of the screen to learn about the various types of computer crimes.  The selections currently include Overview, ID Theft, Spyware, Phishing, Spam Scams, and Shopping.

Although this material is quite general, this would be a good reference site for those without a lot of online experience.  After you select one of the buttons, if you click on the "Read More" option, it will generally display more useful information, such as links to other Web sites or email addresses that may be used to report suspicious activity.
 

News from the ACFE

2006 National Fraud Survey: CFEs Called on for Fraud Impact Study

The most highly anticipated fraud and economic crime study is coming soon! Surveys for the 2006 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse will be distributed to CFEs in early January 2006. Past editions of the Report to the Nation have been cited by the The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Fortune, Reuters News Service, CNN and other international services. Your participation will raise the voice of all CFEs and support the global fight against fraud.

Financial Statement Fraud in the Katrina Aftermath
By Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, CFE
Fraud Magazine, January/February 2006

Hurricane Katrina altered lives forever. Thousands of displaced survivors have lost their jobs as businesses struggle to survive. However, other opportunistic firms shamelessly have taken advantage of the disaster by altering their financial statements. Here's how auditors and fraud examiners can find this hidden crime.

Chapter News

Dinner Meeting News

Our next Dinner Meeting is scheduled for February 7, 2006.
(Students from USF - St. Petersburg will be attending.)

William M. Thomas is the Identification Administrator for the Polk County Sheriff's Office. He is a Certified Latent Print Examiner, a Footwear/Tire Track Examiner, a Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst and a Certified Public Manager. Mr. Thomas ended his 24 year military career as the Latent Print Division Chief, US Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory-Europe.  After that he worked for the HCSO and the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory.

Mr. Thomas testified as an expert witness more than 200 times (for both prosecution and defense) in the examination of latent fingerprints, footwear and tire track identifications, testifying in US Military, US Federal and State Courts and Canadian Military and German Federal Courts. He has discussed issues in Forensic Latent Print Analysis on Court TV’s Forensic Files and served on FBI sponsored national study groups in the field of forensic latent print analysis.

Mr. Thomas will present "Forensic Science & the Fraud Investigator." This presentation will give the investigator some insight on how to use Forensic Examinations of document evidence for successful conclusions in fraud Investigations. Did you know that paper is classified as porous evidence and is a great medium for DNA, document and latent print examination?

The dinner meeting will be held at the Clarion Hotel Tampa Westshore, located at 5303 West Kennedy Blvd., 11th floor. The hotel is just west of Westshore Plaza on the north side of Kennedy Blvd. Evenings will begin with a social at 6:00 P.M., followed by a buffet dinner at 6:30 and a presentation at 7:00. The cost remains only $15.

To make your reservation, please use the following link Chapter Meeting Reservation and complete the form at the bottom of the page.  You can also make your reservation by emailing Wayne Boytim or calling him at (813) 274-7167 by the Friday before the meeting date. Reservations will be accepted after that date and walk-ups are always welcome. Please remember that cancellations are accepted up to the afternoon of the meeting. No shows will be billed after the second missed meeting. Please help us keep our costs down by letting us know if you are unable to attend.

January 10th Dinner Meeting

Creating an ethical environment in an organization can seem like a daunting task in some organizations. However, understanding the basics of why people do what they do is a good start. Our January speaker, George Sherman, has a biography consisting of over two decades in the education field in the Pinellas education system and at the Applied Ethics Institute of St. Petersburg College. Perhaps this explains how he captured us all with the use of props and talk of monkeys and reptiles! He provided an overview of ethics and the relationship to how the brain works.

There are three basic “mini-brains” within the one human brain: reptile, primate, human. The reptile brain’s main function is to keep us alive by alerting us to danger. As a result, typically the “fight or flight” response is initiated by the amygdala. The amygdala controls autonomic responses associated with fear, emotions, and hormonal secretions. This part of the brain looks for survival threats and controls our heart and lungs. When this part is activated, our blood pressure and breathing are increased.

The primate brain or “emotional brain” controls empathy. This is evident in infants as young as four days old. As a fundamental building block of our social interactions, empathy plays a vital role in how we interact with each other. Having empathy for one can stop or hinder crime. It also allows one to understand another’s behavior.

The human part of the brain is where the thinking through things comes in. We form concepts and rationalization here. Success depends on conceptualization. Mr. Sherman explained there is some controversy over whether emotions of awe and wonder occur here, such as whether an action is deterred as a result of one’s belief in a Higher Power.

Mr. Sherman tied in creating an ethical workplace by explaining that the human part of the brain must be engaged and appealed to. There is always an argument within the brain among the three parts. The human part of the brain mediates the other two. The reptile part of the brain “goes for the gusto” no matter the cost. Alone, this person would create crime without the thought of consequences. The primate part of the brain tells a person that he or she is ethical despite his or her behavior at the time. An example of this would be a suicide bomber. The persons who will be killed during a suicide bomber attack are of no concern for the attacker.

The secret to creating an ethical environment is to get people within your circle to have an ethical concern for you. The problem in many organizations is that most employees do not feel they belong to the department. Employees often feel slighted or that someone is out to get them and as a result the reptile part of the brain is fired up. When this part of the brain is activated, the employee may begin to lie or cheat on everything from payroll to taxes. People will work ten times harder for self-fulfillment rather than monetary compensation because to feel appreciated is a basic need of a human. A responsibility of a supervisor is to learn what their employees’ definition of their own needs is and then fulfill them by creating an ethical work environment.

Submitted by: Kara Preston, Chapter Secretary

Disaster Fraud

By Valerie Kimball

In the last ten years, many natural disasters have occurred throughout the world. The Insurance Information Institute classifies catastrophes as events causing direct insured property losses of $25 million or more (James 2005). Tragedies often bring out the best in people with neighbors and nations reaching out to help each other. Unfortunately, disasters are also a beacon for opportunistic predators.

The five primary categories of disaster fraud are charitable solicitations, price gouging, contractor and vendor fraud, property insurance fraud, and forgery (National White Collar Crime Center 2002). There are many causes for the success of scams. One element is that news of world events travels quickly through global media channels reaching the honest and dishonest alike. Another influence is the location in which the disaster itself occurs. Still, the ability of the perpetrators to con the victims, a factor of confidence, cannot be ignored. In addition, the general attitude of the public toward insurance companies, government agencies, and aid organizations affects the success and scope of disaster fraud. Moreover, politics and expectations of government actions based on prior disaster response may impact the ability of frauds to thrive.

Since government aid is completely funded by taxpayer dollars, every American pays the price. Likewise, insurance fraud, to the tune of $29 billion in 2003 for property and casualty insurance, is ultimately passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums (Insurance Information Institute 2005). Meanwhile, penalties for filing false claims have hardly changed in ten years.

Fraud prevention is by far the least costly course of action and, to some extent, is possible. A nation-wide system of cross-checking disaster victim applications, improving the identification process of potential aid volunteers along with an in-depth review of the hiring practices used to screen prospective aid employees is imperative in the fight against fraud. In addition, the on-going publication of disaster fraud investigations, as well as continuous public and employee fraud education, is vital. Accountability in the disbursement of disaster relief funds by government organizations, the insurance industry, and charitable organizations can no longer be delayed. American voters will influence the success, or failure, of mitigating disaster fraud by electing representatives to enact laws and allocate resources to uncover and punish predators who prey on the misfortune of others.

References
Insurance Information Institute, Inc. (February 2005). Insurance Fraud: The Topic. Retrieved September 7, 2005, from http://www2.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/fraud.
James, J. (2005, November 15). St. Petersburg Times, p. D1.
National White Collar Crime Center (September 2002). WCC Issue: Disaster Fraud. Retrieved September 7, 2005, from www.nw3c.org.

About the Author
Valerie Kimball was awarded one of the Tampa Bay Chapter's Student Scholarships.  The presentation of her scholarship is scheduled for our February Dinner Meeting.  Valerie Kimball will complete the USF MBA program this year with a forensic accounting concentration and plans to sit for the CPA exam. She has a bachelor's degree in marketing and work experience in probate and estates along with non-profit accounting. Her professional goal is to expand and develop her fraud and forensic expertise with a local CPA firm, broad spectrum professional agency or government organization.

Jobs Board

Our "Jobs Board" is empty. This Board is devoted to helping professionals in the fraud field and related arenas find resources for employment in the Tampa Bay area. Job listings are FREE. Simply email the job description and requirements to TampaCFE@TampaBayCFE.org. Please include an expiration date for the posting.

President's Message

Surprisingly, no one asked me at the dinner meeting about the big bad bear I encountered in the Smokies. It’s an amazing tale but that is for another day.

We kicked off 2006 with an outstanding dinner meeting on January 10th. Approximately 35 members attended. A hearty welcome goes to Susan Weiss and Glenda Eichholz from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office who were first time attendees. I do extend an invitation for them to come back to our next meeting. Our speaker was George Sherman who presented an interesting message on “Creating an Ethical Environment in an Organization.” At least I know now why some people act like reptiles. If you haven’t attended a recent dinner meeting then let me remind you the meetings present a great opportunity to network with other professionals, to share fraud related stories, and to enhance our career knowledge. Our next dinner meeting is scheduled for February 7, 2006 and the topic, “Forensic Science & the Fraud Investigator” will be presented by William Thomas from the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Make your reservations on line now.

Our two-day “7th Annual Fraud and Computer Crime Seminar” is coming May 9th and 10th and will be held at Ruth Eckert Hall in Saint Petersburg. A talented group of speakers have been handpicked to present a myriad of interesting topics that we are sure will be entertaining as well as informational. Details of the seminar will be posted shortly on our website www.tampabaycfe.org. From last year’s seminar, we learned that we had out-of-town attendees who stayed in local hotels for the event. This year, we are working on obtaining a block of rooms at nearby hotels for those who would like to stay. This will be posted on the website as soon as it is known.

It seems that I have been beating this into the ground the last few months but I think it is important that this chapter receive the recognition that it so richly deserves. We are organizing our chapter’s nomination to the ACFE for consideration as its Chapter of the Year. I believe we stand an excellent chance to win it this year. So I am continuing to ask for your community involvement input so it can be included it in our nomination package. You might have received an email from Kara Preston asking for this input. If you did please reply to her so she can check you off of her list that you received the email. If you haven’t, please email her at Secreatry@tampabaycfe.org and let her know your community involvement. Kara has put in a lot of time trying to capture our chapter’s community involvement and I extend a personal thank you to her for that.

Don’t forget. Our next dinner meeting is February 7, 2006. Besides all the things I have said about our dinner meetings, at this meeting, chapter members we will have the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills while networking with Liz Mulig’s USF @ St. Pete class who will be attending. So make your reservations early.

Steve Hooper, CFE, CIA, CCSA