Notary publics have been a staple in society since before the United States were formed and spanning back to the Roman Empire. One of the major reasons notary publics were a staple for the Roman Empire was due to the illiteracy rate among common citizens. Many individuals did not know how to write; therefore, Roman notary public began acting as scribes as well as authenticating documents (calnotaryclass.com).
The roles of notary public have changed since the years of the Roman Empire, but one thing remains: the need for notary public for both personal and professional business. Notary public no longer write or draft the documents that is something that is typically left to lawyers; however, verification of the signer is still a responsibility of the notary public. The notary public is also responsible for checking for coercion, determining the sound of mind of the signer, witnessing the signing of the document, and placing their seal and signature on the document.
According to donotpay.com, over 1.25 billion documents are notarized in the United States each year. There are typically two types of documents that need to be notarized: personal and professional. The types of documents that can be notarized are limitless. If an individual feels they need to have a document notarized (handwritten, typed, or a standard document), they can seek out a notary public to complete the transaction. “Even if notarizing your document isn’t required, you should consider getting it notarized to officially verify its validity. When someone questions the authenticity of a legal document, a notary signature proves it is indeed a legitimate document” (https://donotpay.com). Notarizing a document is a method to prevent fraud. Remotely notarizing a document ensures that the document is secure and many suggest that remote notarization is more secure and helps in the prevention of fraud.
Aim Notary also uses a knowledge-based authentication process to decrease the risk of fraud. The Knowledge-based authentication requires individuals to identify themselves with unique questions specifically designed to determine a person’s identity. Each individual must pass the knowledge-based authentication process prior to meeting with a remote online notary. This process is designed to prevent the use of someone else’s identity to have a document notarized. Each individual must also appear on camera. Not only does a copy of identification have to be uploaded to meet with a remote online notary, but the individual must also appear on video chat where again they are required to show their photo identification to the remote online notary public for in-person verification.
Remote online notarization security is often a concern for many individuals. Many professionals suggest that remote online notarization is often more secure than paper notarizations. One of the biggest challenges with remote online notarization is that legally the individual is required to appear in person in front of the notary; however, with video conferencing this indeed still takes place. You must connect with a remote online notary via live video chat and you must physically show your form of identification via the chat. The chat is then required to be recorded and stored in a secure location for a minimum of 10 years and in many states the remote notary is required to keep a physical notary book with relevant information surrounding the notary meeting.
Compared to an in-person (traditional) notary public experience, remote online notarization provides more evidence in case of a concern for fraud arises. With a traditional notary public experience, the transaction is recorded merely on the notary publics journal. Therefore, if a legal concern arises the notary public must be found and the journal must be consulted and it is subject only to the information recorded in the journal and the notary publics memory of the transaction. Remote online notarization changes that approach. With remote online notarization, the transaction is recorded and stored in a safe and secure location for years and can be accessed through legal methods for verification. With access to the video chat and all exchanges between the signer and the notary public, there is no room for relying on a memory of a transaction that could have taken place in years past. All that is needed is to view the video of the transaction and necessary information can be obtained. Some argue this is a much more secure manner to conduct a notarization.
These are a few of the methods that Aim Notary uses in order to maintain the integrity of the remote online notarization process and protect our customers from potential fraud. While using technology for legal purposes such as having a document notarized maybe new to some and a little scary at first, at Aim Notary it is not new nor scary for us. We are the experts in our field and we will walk you through all the aspects of the process to help you feel more comfortable and to destress your life!
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