FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF BOARDING PASSES: DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN GENUINENESS AND FORGERY A CASE STUDY

Apart from ticket to an air plane, another crucial document that is required to ensure air travel is Boarding Pass. Being issued during the course of check-in process, this document is extremely crucial to ensure entry in the security areas of airport and to board the airplane. It contains unique and specific data of the passenger and security features embedded in it to establish its authenticity. Although, the airline authorities employ strict measures to detect and to prevent use of fake boarding passes, still there have been increasing incidences of producing fake boarding pass and other fraudulent activities involving the manipulation and forgery of genuine ones, posing significant security challenges to the Aviation sector and Homeland Security. The manipulations in the boarding passes varying from a simple alteration in the important information on boarding passes to sophisticated forgeries are done by the fraudsters to fulfil their spiteful intention. This paper presents a case study that delves into the forensic examination of Disputed boarding pass to ascertain its genuineness or detect manipulations by following a comprehensive approach combining traditional forensic analysis with advanced technological methods. The need to enhance the detection and prevention of fake/forged boarding pass is also highlighted in the paper to bolster the safety of passenger and the integrity of insure air travel.