I got a phone call a couple of days ago from a Notary Rotary 1.5-star rated company wanting me to do a “notary pick up” 30 miles from my base and deliver a “package” to UPS. I told the guy that I didn’t know what a “notary pick up” was, and wanted to know what kind of signing it was going to be. All he would say is that I would be picking up a package and delivering it to UPS, and that the fee was $20.
“OH, HELL NO!” was my response.
The vague description of the assignment, coupled with the zip code where this was to take place (high crime area), I assumed this might have been a setup to make me an unwitting drug mule.
It got me thinking, though, that with all the random assignments notaries get for things besides real estate closings, having a notary unwittingly courier drugs would be a stroke of brilliance for drug dealers to do their dirty work undetected by hiring a signing service. We’re trusted public servants. We go through extensive criminal background checks to receive our notary commissions. It’s terrifying for me to think about how someone could abuse our positions of trust for criminal purposes.
Remain on guard at all times.
Has anyone experienced something like this? Is this a real thing, or have I gone off the deep end into conspiracy land?
I’m sure I’m not giving criminals ideas. If anything, I’m probably doing a public service to notaries by raising awareness. If we weren’t honest people, we wouldn’t be granted commissions in the first place.
Because there’s no amount of money that would persuade me to travel into that zip code. It’s scary enough traveling into Downtown Austin in broad daylight as it is.
Besides, it was a 1.5-star service calling me. I don’t have a relationship with that service. I don’t want to both run the risk of my safety and risk not getting paid.
When I ran yellow page ad I offered 24 hour service and actually answered my phone. Jokers would call me at three in the morning asking if I would notarize the documents on the Mexican border and they were serious. I would always counter their offer with some outlandish amount of money secretly hoping they move on call someone else. Sometimes they would say yes. From that point on good luck on getting any sleep for the rest of the night but at least you get paid the maximum fee. I never felt threatened or afraid no matter where I went or what time I went there. Mobile notary’s are watched over by special angels, remember that and you’ll be OK.
What have I said that was inappropriate? That the “notary pick up” was in a zip code known to be a high-crime area? That as a notary I might unwittingly be used to courier drugs? My, “OH, HELL NO!” Response? These are facts. Please show me in my post where I was inappropriate or offensive.
@LindaH-FL Thank you. I’m glad to know it’s not me. And yes, I agree that the racial comment was inappropriate and rather inflammatory, as race or targeted demographics were not even an issue. Nor should they ever be an issue.
I have been participating in notary forums for nearly 15 years and I think that this is the weirdest thread that I have ever seen.
The strangest part of it is the request by LindaH to delete the entire thread, and the reason is supposedly self-evident.
I never saw the racial remark that was deleted. What remains is a discussion about an example of the type of dilemma that we signing agents face. Seems pretty appropriate to me. Am I missing something that’s obvious?
There was a racially-charged comment from a person on this thread directed at me that LindaH reported. It was an overt insinuation that I was avoiding servicing a specific area because it might be associated with a minority bloc. She also called me, “Becky”, which is supposedly an ethnic slur towards white women. (A reference to the Sir Mix-A-Lot song “Baby Got Back”.) The post wasn’t flagged for removal, only the comment. Thankfully the comment was removed.
I do not wish to perpetuate the conversation about the racial epithets, because it is not germane to the original post about how notaries may unwittingly be used to courier drugs. It’s also incredibly unprofessional, and goes against our moral and ethical code.
When I received the request for an assignment to do a “notary pick up” in a high-crime area, I asked what kind of signing it was. They told me there was no signing. I was to pick up a package and take it to UPS, and was offered only $20. So, yeah, red flags were flying all over the place. That had everything to do with being aware of my surroundings.
For what it’s worth, I thought that your post was completely appropriate for this forum. Unfortunately, there are people who write inappropriate things. Since the inappropriate post was able to be deleted, there is no reason to delete an appropriate thread. It’s like that old expression about throwing out the baby with the bathwater. (I think I just dated myself.)
There are some people that seem to think that a notary public can perform any type of service for them. I have been asked to deliver demand letters, inspect, and even pick up a cashiers check from a bank. My state’s DMV told me to tell buyers that they have to sign the vehicle title, even though I don’t notarize their signature. I’ve been asked to falsely represent myself as a paralegal (is Professional Settlement Services still in business?). I’ve been asked to notarize photographs having no signatures. I’ve been asked to sign I-9s as the employer’s representative. I don’t do any of that.
I performed a wedding once, but only because I became a minister thanks to the Universal Life Church. North Carolina notaries are very limited in what they’re able to do.
