Dubai Police use latest tech to expose a man who forged dead father's signature in inheritance papers

An Arab filed a complaint with Dubai Police, accusing his older brother of forging documents related to their father’s estate after his death.

He explained that his brother took advantage of his father residing with him and issued an inheritance certificate in his name after his father died, excluding him from the legal distribution of the estate.

After the case was referred to the Public Prosecution, the Document Examination Department of Dubai Police’s General Department of Forensic Science and Criminology verified the authenticity of the submitted documents.

Using advanced analysis techniques, they requested previous documents signed by the deceased to verify that the signature used in the inheritance notification was not his real signature.

As a result of the investigations conducted, it was proved that the signature was forged and consequently the rights to the younger son were restored.

Mona Salem Al Suwaidi, a document examination expert at Dubai Police, affirmed that the Document Examination Department achieved numerous accomplishments in uncovering forgery cases, particularly those related to inheritance.

The department relies on advanced technologies to analyze signatures and documents, which help uncover forgery attempts by heirs to acquire additional shares of the estate, she said.

Inheritor notification cases are among the most common forgery cases, as some people believe they can tamper with documents to escape punishment and seize money that is not rightfully theirs, she added, noting that tampering with inheritor notifications constitutes a crime punishable by law.

Colonel Dr. Ali Khalifa Al Falasi, head of Document Examination Department, explained that the department examines inheritance-related documents, such as wills and death certificates, to ensure the absence of any tampering, adding that the department seeks other sources, such as banks and old official documents to verify the authenticity of signatures.

As part of their efforts to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of their work, Dubai Police provide an electronic verification service for the documents issued by them to ensure zero government bureaucracy, he said.

They adopt smart and fast mechanisms that enable individuals to obtain documents in the fewest number of steps without the need to visit multiple offices or fill out forms, he added.

These efforts come as part of Dubai Police’s strategy aimed at combating forgery, guaranteeing the rights of individuals and enhancing community confidence in the integrity of legal procedures and official documents, he said, adding that the the department has the latest devices for detecting forgery.

Al Falasi warned members of society of the dangers of signing a blank paper or any incomplete commercial document as this gives the person holding the paper unlimited authority to issue any data, declarations or financial amounts that may legally bind the signatory.

The danger lies in the lack of any guarantees for presuming good faith, as attitudes can change over time, potentially exposing the signatory to unexpected exploitation, he said.

Furthermore, arguing in court that the signature was in blank may not be sufficient to absolve liability, as courts rely on the validity of the signature itself, regardless of the change in the type of pen or ink used to write the information later, he added.