Fidelity National Financial - Fraud Insights

A notary should always consult with his/her state notary laws for notary guidance.

Here are the general dos and don'ts of notarial acts:

Dos	Don'ts
Require the signer to appear in front of the notary public	Notarize anything not witnessed
Place the signer under oath for a jurat	Notarize anyone who does not have proper identification
Positively identify the signer	Notarize anyone who appears to be under duress, under the influence or incoherent
Carefully review provided I.D.	Falsify a notary acknowledgment in any way
Keep a journal	Notarize an incomplete document
Protect the notary seal and journal of notarial acts	Notarize a document before it is signed
Know and follow the state specific laws	Pre–sign and seal blank jurats and acknowledgments
Keep a Fraud Fighter™ device offered by UVeritech in your signing room	Loan out a notary seal or journal

Not only must the signer personally appear before the notary, the notary must also either personally know or properly identify the signer. Both actions must be met.

Every notarial certificate reads, "…before me…" or the equivalent, meaning the notary is certifying the signer appeared in person at the time of notarization. It is only through face–to–face communication that a notary can determine if a signer is who he or she claims to be.

Here are some other tips:

Ensure your current address and contact information are on file with your state.
A notary should not let his/her guard down even when performing a notarial service on personal time.
The Company cannot override the state's notary laws. If the identification presented does not meet the state requirements, do not accept it.
If requested to provide proof of a journal entry, make sure to only provide that actual entry requested and not the entire page. The remaining entries on the page should be covered up.

In the end it is the state which can renew or revoke a notary's commission. A notary should be sure to protect him/herself and never let his/her guard down. The public is counting on it.