Notary service is an essential service that verifies the authenticity of important documents. A notary official witnesses the signature of the contract between two parties and seals the document with a notarized stamp. This makes the document secure and can’t be disputed later by any parties. Some important documents that require notarizations include contracts, affidavits, and power of attorney. However, one of the main challenges is to identify notary scams. There are good chances of fraudulent notary operation which you need to be aware of. To identify notary fraud you need to check some key aspects. The following section discusses those aspects in detail.
Things to Check to Ensure Authentic Notarization
Notary serves an essential responsibility to authenticate official documents. As a result, transparency is extremely important. By following certain tips you can identify notary frauds. Let’s check out.
1. Proper Identification
Notary operation requires proper documentation. If a notary does not ask for valid ID proof and other relevant documents you can be sure that you have fallen into the trap of notary scam. Any top notary official would ask for proper identification. Thus, if a notary does not ask for important documents you must not move forward with them.Â
2. Asking for Pre-Signed or Blank Documents
Another notable red flag is the notary asking you to sign in an incomplete or blank document. This poses a high risk to your document safety. The information you will provide be used against you or for other fraudulent purposes. Thus, always avoid signing on documents that are not clear to you. If you have any slightest doubts do not proceed forward until you can make sense of it.
3. Exorbitant or Hidden Fees
Notary fees are determined by individual states. So, you must know the standard rates. This will help you to dispute higher rates and also it is a common characteristic of notary scams to charge higher rates. So, be cautious and research thoroughly to learn about the nitty-gritty of notary services.Â
4. Fake or No Notary Stamp
A notary stamp or seal is the most important proof that a document is a notary verified. If a notary skips this step or provides an unclear stamp, it is surely a notary scam. If you fail to notice this then you will surely fall into trouble later on with your document verification. For instance, if you have signed a contract with your business partner with a smudgy stamp, there is a high chance that would not be accepted by legal authorities. As a result, you must be extra cautious regarding notary document verification.
5. Notary Offering Legal Advice
A notary has the only duty to sign and stamp an official document. They are not supposed to offer legal advice. If any notary offers free advice or wants to handle the entire process for you, it is itself a scam. Neither you should follow his advice nor should you proceed further with notarization.
Conclusion
The article has discussed some important notary red flags that you must be cognizant of. Do not accept free legal advice from the notary, do not sign on blank or unclear papers, don’t pay extra fees, and don’t accept unclear stamps. If you notice any of these red flags you already know you are under a fraudulent notary trap.
