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You are replying to this message: | | Posted by MikeC/TX on 5/1/21 10:55pm
I agree with Chris - it's not your job to determine whether or not what's contained in the document is true. That's what attorneys are paid to do. Your job, as a notary, is to properly identify the person standing in front of you, take THEIR oath or affirmation that what's in the document is true, and notarize their signature. Anything else is above your pay grade.
Of course, if you know for a fact that this person is running a scam, all bets are off. If you notarize a signature on a document that you KNOW is false, you may become an accomplice to the fraud (and rightly so). Otherwise, you're acting in good faith.
Some states do not allow a notary to decline to notarize (I think fraud would be an exception). As Janet said, if you are a mobile notary and people are calling you to come to them, you can certainly refuse to make that trip for whatever reason you want. But if they're coming to you and presenting themselves in front of you, your options may be limited by state law.
And as Chris said, absent any proof of fraud or lack of valid ID, there's really no reason to refuse such a request.
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