[4] The foliose (leafy) thallus of Parmelia fraudans is tightly attached to its substrate, typically measuring 4–16 cm (1.6–6.3 in) in diameter.

The brittle, flat lobes that comprise the thallus range from contiguous to overlapping, and are 1–4 mm wide, with truncated tips.

Apothecia are rarely observed; when present, they measure 2–4 mm in diameter and have a dark brown disc, with soredia typically on the apothecial margin.

[7] In Europe, it has been recorded from the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Slovakia.

[8] In the 2019 red list of Estonian lichens, it was classified as a critically endangered species due to a reduction of its range and a decrease in population size (compared to its 2008 assessment).