Notarize Blog

Remote online notarization is helping people plan for their future, buy homes from their couch, and replace lost or stolen passports in a fraction of the time. Connecting with a notary via your phone or computer has not only made the notarization process easier, but more accessible. Its adoption is one of the fastest enactments of public policy in our country’s history, shaping how technology can better support life’s biggest moments.

More than half the world’s population is now online, and as we look for simpler, more convenient solutions to everyday issues, we’ll move our most sensitive information online – if we haven’t already.

This is a great concern for many in the real estate space, where thieves have used this information to steal the down payments – often the life savings – of thousands of prospective homeowners.

Fraud is becoming more common as Internet scams become more creative and complex. Here are 50 statistics that show the threat of real estate fraud in 2019.

Wire fraud and phishing scams are growing issues in the real estate space. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports an 1100% increase in Business Email Compromise scams: financial fraud that targets wire transfers by both businesses and individuals.

Unlike most Internet scams, there are several vulnerable targets in a single mortgage transaction – buyers, sellers, real estate agents, attorneys, mortgage lenders, title companies, notaries. Here is how one title agency, Community Title Network, uses remote online notarization to identify real estate fraud.

Real estate fraud is on the rise. As an industry, it’s on us to combat these growing threats head-on to ensure the integrity of online real estate transactions.

That's why we're proud to announce our latest eBook: 3 Easy Ways to Identify Real Estate Fraud. This free guide uses the latest research and real-life anecdotes to highlight the growing complexities of fraud, the clues that may hint at a fraudulent transaction, and the business processes you can adopt to stop fraud in its tracks.

Below is an excerpt from 3 Easy Ways to Identify Real Estate Fraud. You may access the complete guide here.

Nearly half the country has adopted remote online notarization (RON), embracing technology that makes the notarial act safer, simpler, and more convenient.

With RON, trillion-dollar industries from auto insurance to wealth management are digitizing their businesses for the first time. In response to the nationwide support and to provide a resource for those looking to learn more about RON, we have built a Slideshare presentation that explains this emerging technology.

Here are three key things you’ll learn.

As of today, more than 2 million notaries now live in states that have passed or enacted remote online notarization bills. Technology is empowering life’s most trusted agents to help people when they need it most -- no matter where they are.

Nebraska has become the latest state to pass a RON bill, enabling nearly 30,000 notaries to join the movement. Legislative Bill 186 now heads to the desk of Governor Pete Ricketts for his signature. If signed into law, notaries in Nebraska will have a simpler, safer, more secure way to offer notarizations beginning July 1, 2020.

This is an excerpt from A Guide to Digital Transaction Management. Access the complete eBook for free here.

Over the past few years, we’ve watched families, businesses, and communities rally around providing access to technology for life’s most important moments. Some of these efforts take time, but on the other side of these coalitions, lies impactful solutions that will benefit generations to come.

We’re thrilled to share that Florida not only passed its remote online notarization bill (House Bill 409), but also included an E-Will bill as part of its legislation. Governor Ron DeSantis added his signature HB 409, bringing the efficiencies of remote online notarization to the half a million notaries that call the Sunshine State home. The bill will take effect January 1, 2020.

The remote online notarization movement gained incredible momentum in 2018. We saw the number of RON-approved states reach 10, and knew with a lot of hard work – and a little luck – we might see that number double in the new year.

We’re thrilled to share that our prediction came true. Oklahoma recently became the 20th state to adopt RON, and marks the 10th state to pass a RON bill this year.

This is an excerpt from The Instant Mortgage ebook. Access the complete guide here.