What crime is characterized by falsifying documents or signatures?

The crime characterized by falsifying documents or signatures is forgery. Forgery involves altering, creating, or falsifying a document or a signature with the intent to deceive or defraud another party. It can include a wide array of documents such as checks, contracts, IDs, and legal agreements. The key element in forgery is the intention to use the falsified document to gain something of value or to harm another party.

Fraud, while it involves deceit, is broader and typically refers to an act or instance of deception for personal gain or to damage another individual. Counterfeiting specifically pertains to the reproduction of currency or other government-issued documents, usually with the intent to use them as if they were real. Identity theft involves the unlawful acquisition and use of someone else's personal information, typically for financial gain, but it does not inherently require the falsification of documents. In this context, forgery clearly defines the act of falsifying documents or signatures, making it the correct answer.