Notaries are the first line of defense against identify theft.

This is why it's so important to always follow proper procedure for each notarization and be aware of the type of document being signed, such as:

 

 

Fraud is now commonly called Identity Theft which is defined as unauthorized use or attempted use of an existing account, personal info to open a new account, or misuse of personal information for a fraudulent purpose.

 

Victims are defined as persons age 16 or older who experienced one or more of the above incidents.

 

Notaries prevent this by following the procedure of using satisfactory evidence or personal knowledge to properly identify their client, as well as by assessing basic awareness and willingness to sign for each individual requesting services. They also sign their name consistently with their "official signature", letting the licensing office know that it is an authentic notarization.