A forger is someone who makes fake copies of valuable things to deceive people. The most common use refers to creating counterfeit money, fake artwork, or forged documents like signatures, certificates, or historical papers. A forger might copy a famous painting and try to sell it as the real thing, or sign someone else's name on a check to steal money.

Forgery takes real skill: a talented forger must study exactly how the original looks, down to tiny details like brush strokes in a painting or the loops in someone's handwriting. But that skill is used for dishonesty. Even if a forged document looks perfect, it's still a crime because the forger is lying about what something really is.

The word comes from forge, which originally meant a blacksmith's workshop where metal is heated and shaped. Just as a blacksmith forges iron into tools, a forger shapes materials into deceptive copies.