Forgery is the crime of creating a false document or making alterations to a genuine one with the intent of defrauding someone. While the earlier definition of forgery was restricted to documents, it evolved to include creating anything spurious while claiming it to be genuine.
Any act of tampering with a genuine document, reproducing it without consent, or creating a replica can be regarded as forgery. Forgery is generally considered a white collar crime. In most states, forgery is considered a felony with punishments ranging from small fines to mandatory imprisonment. Instruments that are most often associated with forgery include receipts, promissory notes, currency, stamps, bonds, and bills of exchange.