Forgery vs. Counterfeiting

Forgery and Counterfeiting

• Forgery and counterfeiting are forms of deception or fraud involving the creation of false documents or items with the intent to deceive others.
• They share similarities, but differ in their specific characteristics.

Definition of Forgery

• Unauthorized creation or alteration of legal documents, financial instruments, art, or historical artifacts with the intent to deceive or defraud others.
• Examples: forging someone's signature on a check or altering a legal document to change its terms.

Definition of Counterfeiting

• Production of fake or imitation items, particularly metal currency.
• Example: making a counterfeit of a currency (protected coin) with the intent to pass or tender it as genuine.

Types of Forgery

Physical Forgery

• Creation or alteration of physical documents, signatures, artwork, or other tangible items with the intent to deceive or defraud.
• Involves directly manipulating physical objects to create false representations of genuine items.
• Examples: forging signatures on checks, altering legal documents.

Moral Forgery

• Change in the truth in the content and meaning of the document while issuing it.
• No physical appearance in moral forgery left in the document, because it was done during the creation of the document.
• Example: issuing genuine identification document as Passport by using fake document as identification document (ID).

Governmental and Non-Governmental Documents

Governmental Documents

• Official records, papers, or documents produced, issued, or maintained by a government entity or agency.
• Examples: governmental identification documents (i.e., passports, national identity cards, driver's licenses), birth certificates, death certificates, graduation certificates, government reports, court judgments, and official agencies.

Non-Governmental Documents

• Records, papers, or materials created, issued, or maintained by entities other than government agencies.
• Examples: business contracts, reports, personal correspondence, organizational records, and any written piece of paper.

Securing Governmental Documents

• Implementing measures and protocols to safeguard official documents, records, papers, or materials produced, issued, or maintained by government entities or agencies.
• Goal: to protect sensitive information, ensure the integrity of official documents, and prevent unauthorized access.

Learn about the differences between forgery and counterfeiting, two forms of deception involving the creation of false documents or items with the intent to deceive others.