What does check interception and forgery involve?

Check interception and forgery primarily involves the act of stealing checks that are intended for other individuals and then altering those checks, which typically includes changing the payee’s name. This type of financial crime exploits the trust that individuals and businesses place in the payment mechanism represented by checks. Once the checks are intercepted, the perpetrator may use various methods to modify information on the check, making it appear as though it was authorized by the actual payee.

While altering the amount on a certified check or using checks for unauthorized purposes can certainly constitute financial crimes, they do not encapsulate the specific actions of intercepting checks that belong to someone else and tampering with the payee details. Submitting a check without proper documentation is also related to fraudulent activity but does not directly involve the act of intercepting and altering checks. Hence, the focus in defining check interception and forgery rightly centers on the theft of checks along with the subsequent forger's alterations.