What act involves illegally altering a check to benefit oneself?

The act of illegally altering a check to benefit oneself is best described as forging checks. Forgery entails creating or altering a document with the intent to deceive another party into believing it is legitimate. In this context, it specifically refers to the unauthorized modification of a check—such as changing the amount, the payee, or the signature—to illegitimately obtain funds or benefits. This is a criminal offense that falls under fraud and can lead to severe legal consequences.

In contrast, counterfeiting involves creating phony currency or documents with the intent to commit fraud, which does not directly refer to alterations of existing checks. Check kiting is a tactic used to exploit the float time between banks, where funds from one bank are insufficient but additional checks are written against another account to defend against bounced checks; it does not involve altering checks. Embezzlement is the act of wrongfully taking or misappropriating funds entrusted to someone's care, often involving the diversion of funds rather than the alteration of documents like checks. Thus, forging checks distinctly captures the illegal act of altering a check for personal gain.