I received an email from a woman that said she was in my town with her husband, who is battling cancer. They are selling property out of state to help pay for treatment. She said someone at the hospital recommend me, as I did their closing a few years ago. Asked if I was available on a certain day (a Monday), my fee and that her title company would need my credentials. I responded that I could accommodate.
The next day I received an email from the title company ( First American Title) with contact names and phone numbers. They stated their client ( gave name of person who emailed me) wanted to use me for her closing on Monday and needed my credentials. Documents would be emailed to me, I would be responsible for printing two sets, and returning to title via shipping label.
Totally seemed typical. I responded that I was vetted with First American Title already but sent copy of my commission, E&O, Surety, and Driverâs license.
Never heard from them again. No response to my emails. On Monday I called the first number to the title officer - it was a heating and air conditioning business. The next number to the escrow officer was no longer in service. I now panicked. Re-reading the email, all looked so legit! Then I looked at the email it was sent from⊠Persons name-Firstam@dr.com
They had the First American Title logo at the top, the disclaimer at the bottom - just exactly like First Am corresponds to me!
What should I do? This person has my credentials. Iâm absolutely sick to my stomach.
Commission is a matter of Public Record. There is nothing you sent them that canât be found online.
E&O - doubtful they will file a claim but let your insurer know.
DL - Freeze all three credit reporting agencies. Put alerts on your bank account.
W9- Hopefully you have a business EIN and donât use you SSN.
As long as you donât provide them with PPI like your social security number and bank account numbers, you should be ok.
Recommend creating a new scanned image of your Driverâs License [DL] - regardless whether obtaining a new one (or not) - & ensure you REDACT any pertinent and/or germane data on the image of your DL. At that point, create a NEW FULLY REDACTED SCANNED IMAGE for those business entities that require/demand it.
NOTE:You may already know this . . . but just in case:
On the DLs within many States in the US there will be the prominent DL #, Expiration Date, Date of Birth [DOB], etc., but there will also be a SECOND instance of that data that is vertical in alignment (instead of horizontal) or in some other way a bit obscured, but legible . . .
===>>> So, when you REDACT your non-public personal information [NPPI], please carefully evaluate that youâve truly obliterated all visible NPPI.
For your bank account information, itâs always advisable to create a Receivables Account for the incoming electronic payments as a temporary holding account & then promptly transfer those funds to your âlong-termâ business account for safekeeping. This structure would provide twofold protection:
a. Protect against the potential of a malicious attack draining all your business funds.
b. Enable you a prompt & efficient method for closing the Receivables Account in the event of a malicious attack.
Of course, Iâd like to request the suggestion(s) of @RiverpointeTax for input of his expertise, experiential, & sagacious items to this thread please.
Of note, it identifies: âDuration: A credit freeze lasts until you remove it.â It also provides direct links to the 3 credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, & Experian).
@redrovermobilellc I know this is one of those, Oh Shizel, what did I just do moments. Let me take a moment try to help you and our colleagues better understand what to do. What you describe sounds like a scam. Having worked as a Financial Crimes Investigator in a previous career and now as a Tax Professional and NSA, here are my best practices.
Contact your local law enforcement agency and make a report. This can often be done through their teleservices group so no driving to the local station. Call their public information number and let them direct you to the appropriate intake agent. Donât expect a CSI investigation as these scammer disappear in a whiff.
Contact the three biggest credit reporting agencies to let them know you were scammed. If you have a police/sheriff/constables report theyâll help you lock out your credit data. Let them know youâve made a police report.
Contact your bank and let them know as well. At a minimum, get a new business account and direct any online payment providers [paypal, zelle, ect.] to send payments to your new account. Let the online payment providers know what happened.
Let your credit/debt card providers know what happened and get new cards issued. Again the Police report will help your banking institutions track any unusual activity.
Contact First American Title and let them know someone is using their name and image for potential illegal activities. If requested, give First American the web addresses and a copy of the email(s) you received. First American can use this information to detect activities carried out by the bad actors. They have an image/brand to protect and will appreciate you helping them do so.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND BEST PRACTICES FOR ALL
Never provide a copy of your DL to anyone who doesnât have a definitive purpose. Always ask why they need it and how theyâre going to use, protect, and store it. Over the last several months weâve all experienced Signing Services and Title Companies that ceased operations. Now ask yourself âwhereâs my PPI stored and whoâs responsible if your PPI âleaks out to the internetââ.
1a. Remember cloud storage is just a computer, owned by someone else, that you have no control over. A loose hard drive removed from a computer or server during recycling can end up anywhere.
1b. Digitized PPI that leaks out to the Internet is like peeing in a poolâŠyouâre never getting is back.
Always obtain an EIN from IRS, itâs free and you wonât have to use your SSN to conduct business. You can always get a new EIN, but it takes a Court Order to get a new SSN.
Always setup an LLC or other form of corporate entity. This helps to insulate you from your business should the bad actors show up. Itâs recommended you engage a lawyer, CPA, Tax Professional, or other qualified professional to help you set up your corporate entity as each Stateâs Business Code is different.
Never release your personal identifiers [DL number, SSN, Medicare/Medicaid numbers, DOB, Pass Port numbers, or images of any of these documents] to anyone who canât explain why they need it. The excuse thatâs itâs âcompany policyâ doesnât cut it. I havenât released my DL to any Title Co. or SS and itâs cost me business. Itâs never resulted in ID Theft. Youâll have to decide how much risk your can tolerate.
I did have a now defunct SS inform me they send a copy of the NSAs DL to signers so theyâll know whoâs standing at their front door. This means a person youâve never met would have your DL and vital numbers. Did I just make your navel pucker with that one? Needless to say, I didnât give them my DL.
Hereâs something I just learned. You can, and Iâd recommend, manufacturing a corporate ID card you can hang on a lanyard when you visit a client. The ID Card should display your headshot, name, company name and logo making you a bit more âofficialâ. There are services that can make these ID cards for you and some do a really professional job. Use a professional headshot on your ID and website. Donât use a glamour shot or a photo thatâs too old. This will come across as being a fake. Use this âcompanyâ ID if a SS or TC wants a photo image. This is why having your image on your webpage helps to legitimize your business.
I received a similar request yesterday and it seems legit except for the request for drivers license. I provided them the link to my NNA profile and have not heard from them since.
As far as notary commission goes, if the want an exemplar of the stamp (weird in itself), I normally deface the image with a marker (e.g.: 'X-ing out the stamp).
As far as notary number (i.e.: commission card/certificate), in many states itâs already public record.
My DL doesnât go out almost ever, and then only with a completed signing packet (or in a situation where I initiated contact, so I canât be spoofed).
Prior to creating a corporation, I applied via SS-4 for a sole proprietorship EIN, so my personal SSN doesnât have to be given out.
Aside from flagging credit report, telling your E&O insurer of the issue and keeping a good record or notary journal is critical to defending against notary fraud. Advising your county clerk is not a bad idea either.
I donât know if states issue new commission numbers if one is compromised; you can check your stateâs website (or call department of state) to see if that option is available.
EINs are issued by IRS. LLCs/DBAs/Business are handled by the State. Whether or not you need a business entity [LLCs/DBAs/Business/S-Corp, C-Corp, etc.] will be found in your Stateâs business code. In Texas no business entity is required. Obtaining an EIN offers no legal protections should you be sued. Legal protections are only found by establishing a business entity.
Since youâre not conducting business as a Texas entity, Iâll suggest you speak with an attorney, CPA, or EA practicing in our State.
Good catch, that was definitely a scam. Cancer to pull your heart strings. Fake Firstam email. That you did a signing for them before. They will shop this around. Some new notary will do this signing. Sorry to say. I just hope they have E&O and/or personal liability ins.
percent with the insights as provided by 
