How long does it take to forge a signature?

A criminal steals your wallet and gets a hold of your credit card. They may want to go on a spending spree or clone your card so they can use it later. There is supposed to be one security measure that stands in their way: that criminal will be asked to sign a receipt. They may just sign away doing their best to write your name in their own handwriting, which will make it easy for the victim to dispute the payment and claim fraud. For the more savvy criminals, they may actually try to forge your signature. How long does it take for a good forger to make a passable version of your signature?

Don’t forget that your credit or debit card has an example of your signature on it giving the criminal their starting point. For a seasoned criminal this and a few minutes may be all that they need. Every signature is unique and there are some that are harder to forge than others. Illegible signatures are harder to forge since they contain numerous line intersections and turning points or abnormal line directions. It takes a great deal of time and effort for a forger to duplicate one of these signatures as they have to compare it with the original after nearly every stroke of the pen and then to be able to duplicate the signature without stopping and comparing. So much time that it just may not be worth it for them. Maybe that is why a doctor with good handwriting has yet to be found.

As a merchant what can you do to tell if someone is trying to forge a signature, whether it be on a check or while using a credit card? Watch the customer as well. Most adults will make their mark with no hesitation as they have done for years and it is second nature to them. A forger may be slow and deliberate, and with an illegible signature that should sent up warning flags. Small ink blots can indicate a lifting of a pen, which should not be necessary unless dotting or crossing a letter or moving to a different name. Many forgers also hold the pen very tightly creating an unsteadiness in a signature. Just like the criminal, a credit card has an example of a customer’s signature on it for your reference, assuming the criminal is not using a cloned card that they signed. Merchants are also allowed to ask to see a customer’s ID, which also contains an example of their signature. It is common practice to do this with checks since the forger could have pre-signed it.

Just remember that should a fraudster get away with some goods that you will be on the hook for it as the victim will undoubtedly contact their credit card issuer and dispute the charges. Save yourself some time and money and know how to spot a forged signature.

Remember as well that the penalties for getting caught forging a signature is a felony in all 50 states and can lead to prison time and stiff penalties (not to mention restitution) though there are often different levels applied and punishment can vary state to state. A criminal is taking a risk when trying to forge a signature so their payoff they hope is worth the risk.