How far away are we from an AI generated person closing a transaction? How vulnerable is RON?
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There are even voice-recognition fakes. Waiting to hear about the first AI scammed RON transaction.
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It is going to be epically explosive, when it happens. I’ll go pop us our popcorn, @Arichter you grab the seats @RiverpointeTax you get the drinks. Lets watch the disaster unfold.
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Sounds like a plan! I really don’t think it’s an IF, rather a WHEN. And we KNOW who’s gonna be blamed, right?
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Considering the increasing prevalence of self-checkout systems in retail environments and the ubiquitous nature of ATMs in our daily lives, it is undeniable that technological evolution and the constant embrace of change are not mere fleeting trends but rather foundational elements of our contemporary world. As technology continues to advance at an accelerating pace, a critical question emerges: What proactive strategic frameworks and adaptable methodologies can we effectively implement, both in our personal capacities and within our professional spheres, to not only successfully navigate these transformative shifts but also to strategically leverage them to cultivate positive outcomes and opportunities within the notary public sector and related industries? The discourse surrounding scams has intensified since the implementation of Remote Online Notarization (RON), and it is essential to acknowledge that the ingenuity of criminals will always find pathways to circumvent legal boundaries. Therefore, it is imperative that we approach this evolving landscape with a grounded sense of realism, positioning ourselves strategically to not only adapt to but also anticipate and shape the prevailing market trends. Those who resist embracing these necessary adjustments risk becoming increasingly marginalized and, ultimately, may find themselves unable to sustain their operations within the competitive marketplace. The cautionary tales of businesses like travel agencies, Sears, and other once-dominant entities that failed to effectively transition to online service models serve as potent reminders of the critical importance of embracing innovation and adapting to the ever-changing technological landscape.
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My son is an actor Theatre, Film and Voice Overs for commercials (sports), Marvel, and many other entities. During the actor/writers strike few years ago now AI fakes penetrated market. Now AI has gone ballistic faking voices. Teenagers with skills can even create fakes. Fortunately my son is union actor and stays employed. Business and online dating AI penetration is just beginning. Crazy world. 
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Direct from a Title company’s site:
Fraud is escalating in 2025—and most firms still aren’t ready
Fraud isn’t theoretical anymore. In 2025, it’s operational—and it’s getting worse. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported that total U.S. losses from internet-enabled crimes exceeded $16 billion in 2024, a staggering 33% increase year-over-year. And while not all of that sits within real estate, the title and mortgage ecosystem has become a primary attack vector. In Q1 2025 alone, FundingShield reported that nearly 47% of real estate transactions showed indicators of wire or title fraud at the highest level ever recorded. That number shouldn’t just be concerning. It should change how the industry responds.
The evolution of fraud tactics
The problem isn’t just the existence of fraud—it’s the lag in detection and the lack of integrated defenses. We’ve seen this firsthand:
Fraudulent quit claim deeds recorded under stolen identities.
Synthetic sellers impersonating homeowners in virtual closings.
Deepfake voice and document tools designed to bypass basic verification.
These aren’t fringe use cases. They’re increasing in volume, speed, and sophistication—and they’re testing the gaps in every process you haven’t rethought since 2018. At Sourcepoint, we don’t approach this as a compliance requirement. We treat it as a business continuity threat.
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This is already happening. Read this: Notaries are more important than ever amid the rise of Artificial Intelligence. | NNA
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It’s why I won’t do RON.
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BIG OPENING FOR FRAUD – that’s been my main concern about RON. I’ve said that from the beginning. Many of the long-time notaries have also voiced that same opinion.
Then, along came the C-19 shutdown and several states approved RON, at least for the short term, since business still had to be conducted. Exception was VA; VA had adopted RON prior to the lockdown.
A while back, a California notary vehemently opposed RON. On his own dime, he travelled to Sacramento from San Francisco to lobby lawmakers to oppose it until he was able to secure backing in the form of donations. He formed an organization to oppose it. Then, as he was working with NNA, his position swayed. Guess it was a matter of “if you can beat 'em, join 'em.” Along with the NNA, he worked with lawmakers to approve RON in California with some caveats with full implementation by January 1, 2030. That gives California less than 5 years to research and document RON-involved fraud cases and hopefully revoke that legislation.
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