Notary Publics are entrusted with the job of preventing ID Fraud in society. By checking the identity of a signer of any declaration, oath or contract the Notary helps to prevent anyone using a false identity and so stealing money using paperwork. There are specific guidelines that a Notary can follow to help ensure that they protect the public and themselves from identity fraud as best as possible. They are listed below in no particular order.

• A Notary Public should never allow a birth certificate to be presented as identification. Accepting this would be a bad idea because in several states, someone can request a photocopy of anyone else’s birth certificate. Not only this but it does not hold the basic elements necessary in identification for notarization: a photograph, signature and current description of the signer.

• A Notary Public should never all a photocopy of ID to be used. Obviously, this could easily be a photocopy of someone else’s ID.

• A Notary Public should always demand a personal meeting with the signer. If someone with the power of attorney for the signer appears then they should be scrutinized very carefully.

• A Notary Public should analyze the signature and the ID and make sure they are identical. Whilst some people legally alter their names on occasions, other people often use similarities in name in order to use someone else’s identity. If you are in any doubt, it is reasonable to ask for secondary I.D.

• Temporary Driving Licenses do not count as ID and should not be admitted by the notary. Most do not contain a photograph and even the ones that do are not permitted as official ID in their states.

ID fraud can only be stopped when Notaries work hard to ensure that everyone uses their own, genuine identity. By following these guidelines, you are serving as a public official in order to ensure the financial well being of the general public.