what is forgery crime

Forgery is a crime that involves dishonesty or false statements. Under common law, forgery is a crime committed when a person creates or alters a legal instrument with the intent to defraud. Examples of documents that may be forged include checks, negotiable instruments, contracts, wills, and deeds. Forgery also encompasses some documents that have no legal efficacy but are commonly relied upon in the business world, such as a false letter of recommendation for employment. The usual manner of forging is to prepare a false writing and sign another’s name to it or to make a material alteration to a valid writing already signed by another. However, a writing that contains false statements is not necessarily the “false-writing” that forgery requires. To be considered forgery, there must be fraudulent intent. If such intent is present, there is forgery even if no one is actually defrauded by the false document. Forgery can be graded as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances of the case.