counterfeiter; faker; appropriationist
Refers to someone who creates forgeries, especially of art, documents, or money. 'Appropriationist' is a rarer, more specific term used in art contexts.
The counterfeiter was making fakes of famous paintings.
The police tracked down the counterfeiter's hideout.
Composed of 贋 (がん, 'counterfeit, fake'), 作 (さく, 'make, produce'), and 者 (しゃ, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a standard Sino-Japanese compounding pattern.