What characterizes an altered card?

An altered card is characterized by modifications made to its embossed or encoded information. This can involve changing account numbers, expiration dates, or other data originally printed or encoded on the card. Such alterations can be made with the intent to deceive, as they may misrepresent the authenticity or validity of the card, posing risks for financial institutions and merchants.

The other options do not reflect the definition of an altered card. A card lacking a magnetic stripe would typically be considered damaged or invalid but does not indicate alteration of the information itself. Similarly, a card with original information left unchanged is obviously legitimate and intact, while a card that has expired is simply no longer valid but has not undergone any alteration to its data. Thus, option C accurately identifies the essence of what defines an altered card.