Forgery is defined as which of the following?

Forgery is defined as which of the following?

• A. Signing another's name on a document
• B. Possession of a forged document
• C. Making a false writing, which if genuine, would have legal effect
• D. Uttering a forged writing

Answer: (C)

Forgery is about creating a false writing that, if it were genuine, would have legal effect. The essence is the act of making a document or instrument that is not true, with the intent to defraud or deceive, and that could influence rights or obligations. Simply signing someone else’s name or merely possessing a forged document aren’t the act of forging itself; they describe related offenses (signing someone else’s name can be part of fraud, but doesn’t define forging) and possession of a forged instrument or uttering a forged writing are separate crimes. Uttering a forged writing means passing it off as genuine, which is a different offense from the act of making the false writing. So the best definition is making a false writing, which, if genuine, would have legal effect.

Forgery is about creating a false writing that, if it were genuine, would have legal effect. The essence is the act of making a document or instrument that is not true, with the intent to defraud or deceive, and that could influence rights or obligations. Simply signing someone else’s name or merely possessing a forged document aren’t the act of forging itself; they describe related offenses (signing someone else’s name can be part of fraud, but doesn’t define forging) and possession of a forged instrument or uttering a forged writing are separate crimes. Uttering a forged writing means passing it off as genuine, which is a different offense from the act of making the false writing. So the best definition is making a false writing, which, if genuine, would have legal effect.