FOCL Practice Test

Which offense did Chelsea commit when she cashed her grandmother's Social Security check without consent?

1. Identity theft

2. Fraud

3. Forgery

4. Theft

The correct answer is: Forgery

Cashing her grandmother's Social Security check without consent constitutes forgery because it involves creating or altering a document with the intent to deceive, which in this case pertains to the unauthorized cashing of a check. The act implies that Chelsea was either using a signature she was not authorized to use or representing herself as her grandmother to unlawfully obtain funds. Forgery focuses specifically on the manipulation of documents or signatures to gain something of value, and since Social Security checks are legally binding documents, cashing one without proper authorization clearly falls under this offense. Identity theft, fraud, and theft involve different nuances. Identity theft would require the unlawful use of another person's personal information for financial gain. Fraud usually relates to deception that leads to financial or personal gain but does not necessarily involve the alteration of documents. Theft involves taking someone else's property without permission but does not imply the deception aspect tied to document manipulation.