Forged Signature

Definition ∞ A forged signature refers to the unauthorized and fraudulent reproduction or creation of a person’s handwritten or digital signature. This act aims to falsely authenticate a document, transaction, or agreement, often for illicit financial gain or to circumvent security protocols. Such a signature lacks legal validity and represents a serious breach of trust and security. Detecting forged signatures is critical for preventing fraud.
Context ∞ In the realm of digital assets, a forged signature would involve the illicit generation or misuse of cryptographic keys to authorize transactions without the legitimate owner’s consent. This can result from compromised private keys, phishing attacks, or vulnerabilities in smart contract code. Security protocols like multi-factor authentication and hardware wallets aim to mitigate the risk of such unauthorized access and transaction signing.