Signature Scam! Elvis Presley, Beatles' Autographs Among Showbiz's Most Forged

Only about half of the signed memorabilia by the legendary musicians reportedly is legit

What's in a name? A whole lotta moola for scammers, apparently.

The autographs of Elvis Presley and the Beatles rank among the most-forged signatures in showbiz—enough to make you think twice before snapping up that that groovy "authentic" Elvis shirt personally signed by the King himself.

In fact, only about half of "autographs" out there by the "All Shook Up" crooner and the Fab Four are the real deal, Reuters reports. The rest are just cashing in on collectors' gullibility.

At least the legendary musicians are in good company: Other popular fake autographs include those of Michael Jackson, John F. Kennedy and—interestingly—Neil Armstrong, who clocked in at No. 3. Apparently, forgers were over the moon when it came to ratcheting up faux signatures of the late astronaut following his death in July.

So who's to blame for all the bogus autographs? Experts chalk it up to zealous and dedicated assistants, who've been known to pitch in and help answer fan mail when that starts to pile up.

Talk about a sneaky sleight of hand.