I\'ve Just Seen a Fake: Beatles and Presley Top List of Most-Forged Autographs

Apple Films Ltd. The Beatles: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

You might want to double-check your beloved autographed copy of “Magical Mystery Tour” and be certain it was signed by Paul McCartney and not, say Pete McCourtney, or you'll be looking like quite the fool on the hill. A ranking of the year's most-forged celebrity autographs puts the Beatles near the top of that list, alongside performers like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, as well as notable individuals like John F. Kennedy and Neil Armstrong, Reuters reported.

Pre sley was not only the King, but the king of forged autographs for 2012, ranking No. 1 on a list of entertainment and historic personalities compiled by PSA/DNA, a memorabilia authentication company based in Newport Beach, Calif. Collectively, the Beatles took the No. 2 slot, followed by Mr. Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, who died in August. A separate list for professional athletes ranked Babe Ruth as the sportsman with the most-forged signature, followed by Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Michael Jordan.

Joe Orlando, the president of PSA/DNA, told Reuters that his company had examined more than 350,000 autographs this year. “Unfortunately, a large portion of them were forgeries,” he said. “In fact, it's not uncommon for our experts to reject 50 percent or more of the signatures submitted to our company, especially when it comes to the more prominent names.”

In other words, trophy hunters, maybe look for celebrities with whom you can take photographs, and keep your smartphone handy.