Forgery is the crime of creating a fake version of something valuable and passing it off as real. A forger might create a painting that looks like it was made by a famous artist, or forge someone's signature on a check to steal money from their bank account.

Throughout history, art forgers have fooled museums and collectors with fake masterpieces, sometimes going undetected for decades. Document forgers create false passports, diplomas, or historical papers. Some forgeries are so skillful that experts need scientific tests to spot them. In one famous case, a forger named Han van Meegeren painted “new” works by the Dutch master Vermeer that fooled art experts for years.

Forgery requires real skill and effort, which makes it especially frustrating: forgers often have genuine talent but use it dishonestly rather than creating their own original work. The punishment for forgery is serious because it undermines trust in important documents, artworks, and currency. When you sign your name on a permission slip, that signature matters because we expect it to be real. Forgery threatens that basic trust.