I just received and E-mail from a university asking to verify that I notarized a Driver License verification, they included the document. I in face DID NOT nor did the forged signature look anything like mine. They made up a stamp which was not even within the legal requirements of my state. Now I’m really concerned and not sure what do to. Called my Secretary of State office and of course they’ll get back in 2-3days. Filing a police report. Has this ever happened to any of you and what did you do?
Don’t file an E&O policy report until you hear from your SOS about what to do. Why? because your carrier will most likely start an investigation and your current E&O policy amount will be REDUCED by whatever the cost of investigating this is. Read your policy’s fine print as most of 'em are on a ‘declining coverage’ basis. Depending upon what answer you get from SOS, then decide to report or not.
I’m so sorry this happened to you but you did nothing wrong. I completely agree with Arichter about waiting to contact E&O. Keep good records of how you are responding to this and expect it to blow over shortly. Often it’s someone trying to “legitimize” a document quickly and they invent a notary.
Gosh good to know but I hadn’t even THOUGHT of filing E&O. Not sure what this would even do though as there is no monetary value associated with the forgery ..
Not sure what E&O would even do as there was no monetary value associated with the forged notarization…I’m so glad the university came to me for verification, the person did get expelled though, and they said they would provide anything I needed to have him charged, guess now I’m just waiting to hear back from the police and the SOS office to file a report.
Good grief! I am sorry this happened to you. My first thought is to contact the local or state police. Forgery is very serious! I hope it works out for you.
Sorry, thought that meant you were contacting your E&O carrier. Think we’d all like to know what your SOS says about this when you get a response from them.
It has never happened to me (knock on wood). But I agree with others that you should definitely report the fraud to the police in great detail and obtain a copy of the police report. #cya
Hi Felicia: I noted I had a similar experience you’re dealing with.
There was a fake stamp of my name and county (not my valid commission number) that was submitted to the DMV for someone’s release lien. It was very serious that the DMV had me investigated when I clearly had a lawful notary stamp I provided.
The investigator assigned wanted to ask me questions seemingly wanting to make me guilty without evidence. I cleared my name of this crime but the guy didn’t want to dismiss me.
The case was open a while until a new investigator called claiming he spoke with DMV wanting more answers. He was very rude.
I ended up calling those responsible for sending this investigator for another round of questions and they cancelled it. Such a relief!
Let us know how this goes for you. I hope they won’t do the same to you!
Well you did the right thing in filing a report, the state will need to issue you new credentials with a new number as that license number is now bad and flagged. You need to let all the platforms you are on know that it has been stolen and not to assign you any signings until you have a new stamp.
You don’t use your E&O on something like this as it is fraud, not a claim on your conduct or procedures, this is criminal not a civil issue. If they can track down where it came from, and the student would be the source of information as they committed the fraud. I do these kind of investigations and that is where it needs to start, the person with the document notarized.
How about all the documents you don’t know that have already been notarized with that fake stamp. Which means you could be held liable for any future documents that that fake stamp is used on, you will at least have to defend yourself with a lawyer. You need to have the state void that stamp and make you a new one with a new number.
This has never happened to me but this is what I would do:
1. Notify the university
Let them know you did not perform that notarization and that the signature and stamp are not yours.
2. File a police report
This creates an official record that your notary identity was used fraudulently. Keep the case number and a copy of the report.
3. Notify the California Secretary of State
Send them a copy of the fraudulent document and explain that someone used your name and commission without authorization.
4. Check your notary journal
Confirm there is no entry for that notarization. Your journal is your strongest protection.
5. Keep records
Save the email, the fake document, and any communication with the university, police, or Secretary of State.
If it’s not in your journal and you didn’t perform it, you are not liable. The responsibility falls on whoever created the fraudulent document.
