Does anyone know if AI can be on the opposite side of a RON closing? I can’t see online notarization as being safe. Sure there are questions you can ask but what if it is another person using the notary’s image only? It’s scary to me that this is a thing and thought that by now there would be legislation that prohibits it.
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NEITHER CAN THE FBI!!! Check out Notary Rotary and a post by SReis. Posted within the past few days
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Good article! I can see this running rampant before we go back to in person notarization. It’s a scary situation and we all know how insurance works. One loophole and they won’t cover any losses suffered by the notary.
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For anyone interested, here’s the link to the article mentioned by LindaH-FL that was recently posted by SReis on Notary Rotary.
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@abbottirene It is completely understandable why you and so many other dedicated professionals in our field harbor deep, justified concerns regarding the rapid and largely unchecked integration of artificial intelligence into the remote online notarization process. The chilling potential for sophisticated deepfakes, voice synthesis, and advanced identity manipulation creates a significant security challenge that we simply cannot afford to ignore as we look toward the future of the industry.
However, it is worth noting that while the technology evolves, so too do the defensive measures designed to combat these threats. For instance, the company Secured Signing recently launched an innovative tool called Realify, which is specifically engineered to detect and prevent deepfake fraud during RON and video signing sessions by verifying the authenticity of participants in real-time. You can learn more about how this specific technology aims to secure our digital workspace and protect notaries here: https://californianewswire.com/secured-signing-unveils-realify-to-stop-deepfake-fraud-during-remote-o
Truth be told, regardless of how many technological safeguards are put in place, bad actors will always seek out loopholes to exploit for their own gain. It is important to remember that fraud remains a persistent, evolving issue even in traditional in-person notarizations, so we must remain hyper-vigilant regarding our security protocols and identity verification standards regardless of the format we use to perform our professional duties.
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That sounds like a good plan but I question the fact that there are different levels of whether someone is fake or not. It also seems like there might not be measures that are in place that consider whether the actual notary is real or a generated person based on information obtained from one of these emails where the notary is asked to join a zoom meeting as an interview to determine whether the company wants to work with them. I’ve seen many posts from notaries that are asked to interview by zoom. They question whether it’s legitimate or a scam. Many determine it’s a scam but I wonder how many will pursue any avenue since work is more scarce lately.
Interesting article linked by cfletcher. Thanks for that, Carl!
That article states: “Realify seamlessly integrates with Secured Signing’s RON and Video Signing platform.” So, does that mean that technology is available ONLY on a specific platform?
Agree with abbottirene’s qualms.
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@yolicue I completely agree with your point, yolicue; it is highly unlikely that Secured Signing will remain the only RON platform to adopt these types of advanced authentication technologies. As we continue to witness our society become increasingly dependent on a wide array of interconnected digital-based systems, it is arguably only a matter of time before these rigorous security measures and real-time verification tools become the new standard across the entire notarization industry. As technology advances, the platforms that fail to implement such safeguards will inevitably find themselves lagging behind in terms of both security and professional credibility.
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AI is taking over everywhere. The zoom call scam was all about stealing biometrics to pretend to be notaries. I haven’t been interested in RON because I’m not convinced it’s the future of loan closing. Can’t wait to be told all the ways I am wrong. But I know someone who is a platform engineer coding AI. It’s a little scary.
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I agree that fraud remains persistent, in-person notarization trumps RON every time. IMHO RON’s convenience removes the things that actually protect a signer. In person, I can tell if someone understands me and understands what they’re signing. I can pick up hesitation, notice confusion, and engage in small talk that tells me whether the signer is lucid, aware, and willing to sign - not just able to answer a scripted question correctly. I can see who else is in the room, putting a stop to any coaching or speaking for the signer - and I’ve actually had to do that. A screen can’t do any of that. A signer can be coached off-camera, pressured by someone standing just out of frame, or reciting answers without grasping what they mean. None of that shows up on a video log. I could go on and on but I’ll stop, for now.
I’m just not on board with RON and don’t believe I’ll ever be.
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I couldn’t have put it in better words! We were taught to do these things. I don’t see how it can be done without the person sitting in the same place as I am.
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It’s not just about being able to answer a scripted question correctly. Most Remote Online Notarization (RON) scripts are generic templates that each notary tailors to their own style while still meeting their state’s legal requirements.
As for awareness, you can usually tell when someone is simply repeating answers without understanding what’s happening. That’s why it’s ultimately the RON notary’s responsibility to adjust their questioning, ask follow-up questions when necessary, and ensure the signer is aware, willing, and understands what they’re signing.
On top of that, many AI-powered RON platforms continuously run deepfake detection and fraud analysis in the background during the session. If the system detects something that requires a closer look, it can trigger a mandatory human review. Even if the platform doesn’t flag anything, the notary can manually initiate a review or refuse to proceed if they suspect fraud or AI manipulation. The technology is just one layer of protection—the notary’s judgment is always the final safeguard.
Just last month, I had an elderly lady attempting to sign a Power of Attorney and a Will. I did not complete the notarization because a family member kept interfering throughout the session. It was obvious the signer didn’t fully understand what was going on, and the family member was answering for her instead of allowing her to respond. They begged and pleaded with me, saying the signer was dying and that they needed the documents signed immediately, but they refused to follow my instructions and continued interfering with the process.
I explained that I could not complete the notarization under those circumstances, apologized that I was unable to assist, ended the session, and documented in my notary journal exactly why I refused to complete the notarization. That’s part of our responsibility as notaries—to protect the signer, not just complete the transaction.
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Fair points on a couple things — and you’re right that scripts get tailored per notary and per state. That’s not really where my concern sits.
Your story actually makes my point better. You caught that family member because they were on-camera, in frame, audible. What worries me is the one who isn’t. A good RON notary can absolutely stop a session when the interference is visible. That’s not the scenario I’m describing.
Same with the deepfake/fraud detection tools — that layer is built for impersonation and video tampering, not for capacity or duress. It won’t flag someone who’s lucid enough to pass a video call but doesn’t actually grasp what they’re signing, or someone who agreed to this an hour ago under pressure from a relative who’s since stepped out of frame and believe me…what happens before I arrive - that anxiety from the signer and energy is still there at the signing.
And “ask a follow-up question if something seems off” is still a script, just a longer one. What I’m talking about — reading hesitation, body language, the pause before someone answers, whether the room feels right — isn’t something that reduces to a checklist, no matter how good the notary is.
Here’s the part that concerns me most, though: RON platforms aren’t connected to each other, and notaries across the country are on different ones. So say that family in your story gets refused by you. Nothing stops them from trying a different RON notary on a different platform in a different state five minutes later — and repeating that until they land on someone newer, less experienced, or just less attuned to the cues you picked up on. It would be a much more daunting task to call mobile notaries to negotiate travel fees, decide where to meet, set a time/date, and ultimately drag the signer to said appointment. There’s friction in arranging an in-person appointment vs. opening a new browser tab.
There’s no shared record/database, no flag that follows the signer from platform to platform. In person, someone can’t notary-shop from the couch. Online, they can sit there and keep dialing until they find the weak link. And if a family under pressure can do that, imagine what an actual fraud ring can do with the same setup. There’s no mechanism that would surface “this signer was refused by a notary on a different platform last week.”
I’m glad you refused that signing. That’s exactly the judgment call notaries should make. I just don’t think it proves the medium is equally safe — it proves a good notary can catch the obvious cases. It’s the ones that aren’t obvious that keep me from getting on board with RON.
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I don’t see it as a script. Yes, it takes longer than a routine session, but my questions aren’t predetermined. I go wherever the conversation naturally takes me.
For example, I might suddenly ask, “What day is it today?” Then I’ll pivot and say, “Let’s take a look at the document. Tell me a little more about what we’re here to accomplish today.” The questions depend entirely on what I want to see, hear, and assess in that particular moment. Every session is different because every signer is different.
As for someone looking off-screen, I pay close attention to their reactions and eye movements. Those nonverbal cues often tell you a lot about whether they’re thinking for themselves, being coached, or looking to someone else for answers.
As for other RON platforms or other remote online notaries, I can’t comment on how they conduct their sessions because I don’t know their processes. I have, however, seen Florida notarial certificates from other notaries that were missing required information, and it does make me wonder what happened during those notarizations. But that’s no different than mobile notaries—you don’t know how another notary conducts a session unless you were there. I can only speak for my own process and the standards I follow.
For what it’s worth to you, I am 82 year old retired RE broker with 35 years experience in that arena. Twenty years ago I added mobile notary as a side line and something to keep me active in retirement.
I have used AI in my hobbies of amateur radio and keeping my 1973 English sports car running.
AI MAKES MISTAKES!!! and then doubles down. In my first career of USN communications and security I was taught security.
Based on my training and life experience I will not notarize if I can’t get physically face to face.
Did you see the news just last night that a LLM being tested hacked competitor AI platforms?
As Robbie the robot once said,
“DANGER WILL ROBINSON! DANGER!
Cheers
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Key Findings on Florida Deed Fraud
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Florida led the nation in reported deed fraud filings in 2025, marking the third consecutive year the state has held this distinction.
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Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, and Orange counties reported the highest number of confirmed deed fraud cases.
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Absentee and seasonal property owners accounted for approximately 71% of confirmed deed fraud victims, making properties without full-time occupants a significant target.
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Notary fraud continues to be the leading method used in deed fraud schemes, while fraudulent transfers involving vacant land increased significantly in 2025.
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Florida House Bill 1419 (2025) strengthens deed authentication requirements, with implementation beginning in 2026.
But Here’s the Question:
How many of these confirmed deed fraud cases were actually related to Remote Online Notarization (RON)?
The statistics identify notary fraud as the dominant method, but that does not necessarily mean the fraud occurred through RON. It would be important to know how many cases involved RON notarizations versus traditional in-person notarizations, fraudulent notary credentials, forged notarial certificates, or other forms of notarial fraud.
Without that breakdown, it is difficult to determine whether these numbers actually reflect a problem with RON itself or with deed fraud and notarial fraud more broadly.
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I guess you hit the nail on the head with why I can’t get on board with AI. I started using it early on to research things and found it to be less than accurate and more limited than I expected. Surely things have improved but if we don’t check the fact checker, we can’t rely on having it as a source of accuracy. With all of the fake interviews and other online videos that even the people who have been hijacked saying it looks like them but it’s not, I can’t take a chance on that other person on the other side of a computer screen as the person needing a super important document certified. I can’t even commit to someday it getting better and I will get on board, I just don’t feel right about it being safe or secure.
Surely there’s fraud but a human scrutinizing an event will be more likely to have a bit more of an eyes on the process and the ability to spot a license that doesn’t look right, a demeanor of the signer and others in a room, or documents that have a signature that was actually witnessed by someone who is assigned to oversee that.
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Absolutely! I have scary first hand experience of a foreign military attempting to meddle with a USN communications system. They tried to imitate my station but I caught it just in time.
AI is not something we can ever trust
AI = Artificial Integrity
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