Defenses Against Forgery Charges Lack of fraudulent intent — If you did not have the intention to defraud, you may have a valid defense to forgery charges. Document Lacks Legal Significance — To be considered forgery, the document in question must have some sort of legal importance.
Consent: Prove that you had permission to sign or alter the document in question. Authenticity: Show that the signature or instrument is genuine and not forged. Coercion: Argue that you were forced to forge the document under threat or duress.
mail the Inspector General's Office at ethics@atg.state.il. Report fraud, scams, and bad business practices at ReportFraud.ftc. Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.
Safeguarding personal information: Protect documents and sensitive materials that could give ideas to forgers. Technology-based prevention: Utilize digital signatures and pick highly secure e-signature platforms like Blueink that use two-factor authentication.
Forgery is a criminal offense. Generally, forgery charges are charged at the state level, but they can be charged as federal crimes in certain circumstances. The details of your case determine whether the case will be tried in state or federal court and the applicable laws.
Skilled forgery The hardest type of forgeries to detect, these signatures are produced by criminals who have spent a lot of time practicing and have the ability to replicate the actual signatures in a way that looks both accurate and relatively fluent to the eye.
Illinois deems forgery a considerable offense. Under Illinois law, forgery can lead to significant legal consequences and varies depending on the nature of the forged document. A Class 3 felony for a generic forgery can result in 2-5 years of imprisonment.
How to combat document forgery Start with advanced security measures. Utilize digital document verification systems. Update and audit your workflow. Comply with legal and regulatory measures. Conduct regular education and training.
Any person who forges any document or electronic record is guilty of an offence which, unless otherwise stated, is a felony and he is liable, unless owing to the circumstances of the forgery or the nature of the thing forged some other punishment is provided, to imprisonment for three years.