Forgery is a white collar crime that can be very serious. There are several things that comprise forgery. However, there are some instances in which criminal charges won’t be filed. It is important to understand exactly what constitutes forgery so that you can ensure that you avoid it.
One of the most common types of forgery is signing another person’s name. You should never sign a document for another person unless you have permission to do so and you note the fact that you were the one who signed it.
There are other forms of forgery. These include altering documents or creating fraudulent ones. Legal certificates, contracts and identification cards are all items that might be forged. Even works of art might be copied. Payroll items and checks are often forged. Such forgeries can lead to very serious legal matters.
When trying to determine if an act is illegal, the purpose of the forgery is one of the primary considerations. If it is done to deceive others, there is a problem. For example, you are allowed to copy works for art. However, you can’t try to sell those copies or represent them as original works.
Facing charges for forgery can be serious. There are some cases in which you might face identity theft charges due to the forged documents. This will occur if you try to represent yourself as another person in a way that does meet the state’s requirements for this charge. You need to learn about the criminal charges you are facing and how best to deal with them.
