A mobile signing agent started receiving messages from an escrow officer she regularly worked with asking for copies of identification presented at recent signing appointments. The requests were coming from a Gmail™ account but contained the escrow officer's signature block.

The first request from the escrow officer was for copies of identifications from a signing appointment the mobile agent did not handle. 

The second request was for copies of 10 different identifications. The signing agent did not even respond, since she did not handle all 10 signing appointments. 

The third request was for a copy of the signer's identification from a recent signing she conducted. The signing agent responded with images of the identifications captured at closing, using her mobile device. 

A week later, the same mobile signing agent received two additional requests for copies of identifications via text messaging. The mobile signing agent assumed the telephone number used to send the requests belonged to the escrow officer. She replied to the text messages with images of the identifications she had captured at the recent signing appointments. 

The mobile signing agent failed on several levels. She did not verify she was communicating with the escrow officer through a valid email account and never verified the phone number that was used to send the text messages. She transmitted the identifications of six consumers to a fraudster, causing damage to the title agent and the relationships with their customers.

It is not always necessary to capture the image of the identification presented at signing. In fact, some states' notary laws prohibit the notary from recording the identification number presented at signing, much less obtaining a copy of the signer's identification. 

If the signer presented their military ID, U.S. code prohibits a signing agent from obtaining a copy of said ID, whether it be a photocopy or photograph. Today, most loan instructions prohibit the identification from being introduced to the escrow file. 

Solution: In those rare instances where identification is required to be transmitted to the escrow officer or the lender to clear possible liens, Bancserv, a subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial, Inc., should be utilized. Bancserv is a nationwide mobile notary service that can facilitate all your document signing needs. 

Bancserv offers a mobile app with a feature made for securely capturing copies of identification presented at signing. The photos are never stored on the mobile signing agent's phone and the photos are kept encrypted from the time the image is captured by the app. The image then attaches to the order in Bancserv's secure online server.