§ 493

Bonds and obligations of certain lending agencies

Up to 10 years Fraud & Money None sentenced (FY2025) Ch. 25 · Counterfeiting and Forgery

Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term

Whoever falsely makes, forges, counterfeits or alters any note, bond, debenture, coupon, obligation, instrument, or writing in imitation or purporting to be in imitation of, a note, bond, debenture, coupon, obligation, instrument or writing, issued by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, Home Owners' Loan Corporation, Farm Credit Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, or any land bank, intermediate credit bank, insured credit union, bank for cooperatives or any lending, mortgage, insurance, credit or savings and loan corporation or association authorized or acting under the laws of the United States, shall be or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.

Whoever passes, utters, or publishes, or to pass, utter or publish any note, bond, debenture, coupon, obligation, instrument or document knowing the same to have been falsely made, forged, counterfeited or altered, contrary to the provisions of this section, shall be or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.

History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 711 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 87–353, §3(p), Oct. 4, 1961, 75 Stat. 774; Pub. L. 90–19, §24(a), May 25, 1967, 81 Stat. 27 (PDF, 2.3 MB); Pub. L. 91–468, §3, Oct. 19, 1970, 84 Stat. 1016 (PDF, 4.7 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB); Pub. L. 107–56, title III, §374(i), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 341.)

Simplified explanation

It is a federal crime to forge or alter notes, bonds, or other papers of certain federal lending and insurance agencies (such as the FDIC or HUD) or federally authorized lenders and credit unions. It is also a crime to knowingly pass such forged papers.