Posted by jnew on 9/10/11 12:00am
Msg #396945

Going back to embosser

I don't know if I may be overly concerned, but I am hearing more and more about people copying the seals of notaries public and using them for fraudulent purposes. I used an embossing (crimp) seal when I became a notary (back in the stone age before the fax machine). I switched to inked seals when it became difficult to see the impression on fax machines and copiers. Now with the advances in imaging, a fraudster could easily make a copy of an inked seal and use it to commit an illegal notarization. My feeling is that if I use an embosser and an embossment inker, I could defend myself a little better against fraud by having a forged document disallowed by it not having a raised seal. It will be a time waster to some extent having to seal documents in two steps rather than one, but I think it might be worthwhile.

Reply by Buddy Young on 9/10/11 12:31am
Msg #396946

Although it is possible, I do think you are overly concerned.
I don't know how much of that fraudulent activity there is out there, but if it was rampant the SOS would change seal requirements.
You would also know if you notarized a statement in court or not, and your have your journal to back you up.

Even though we should do what ever possible to prevent fraud, it's not our job.

I do realize that some crooks will go to the extreem to make a quick buck.

I knew a fellow once who split $20s and $1s. then glued them together. A 20 on the front and a 1 on the back, or a 20 on the back and a 1 on the front. That must have taken a steady hand.

Reply by HisHughness on 9/10/11 1:19am
Msg #396949

***I knew a fellow once who split $20s and $1s. then glued them together. A 20 on the front and a 1 on the back, or a 20 on the back and a 1 on the front. That must have taken a steady hand***

Yeah, I knew an Aggie once who did that about four times a week. Then he'd take the doctored bills to the Dixie Chicken and get a $1.98 cent burger. Saved up enough from that 2 cents in change several times a week that eventually he was able to buy himself a brand new harmonica. Never did learn how to play it, though; couldn't find strings small enough to fit it.

Reply by Buddy Young on 9/10/11 1:59am
Msg #396950

Re: Hugh, you're funny n/m

Reply by Buddy Young on 9/10/11 12:39am
Msg #396948

Also, it would probably be someone who has seen an inpression of your seal, most likely a TC employee. That would give the police a good place to start their investigation.

Of course if you do a lot of GNW it wouldn't necessarily have to be a TC.

They would also have to forge your signature.

Reply by Stamper_WI on 9/10/11 7:08am
Msg #396954

This happened to Lisa W a couple of yrs ago. Someone went and just had a seal with her info made. In WI minimum requirements are her name and the state info on it. No ID numbers here. No proof of commision to have one made. So the fake seal doesn not even have to look like yours.
In her case, it was used to open a blind mailbox in FL. I think she said they had traced the perps to Finland.

Reply by Julie/MI on 9/10/11 9:57am
Msg #396978

I would go with the overly concerned.

Where are your sources of people copying the seals?

To me the best defense is a journal. If there is no journal entry, then it's fraud.

Do you do general notary work? I don't so if the document does not pertain to a real estate transaction, then I didn't notarize it.

It's not up to us to reinvent the wheel.