Traveling to the homes and offices of strangers is central to Notary Signing Agents services. The overwhelming majority of assignments go smoothly, but from time to time potentially dangerous situations arise.
In a few recent incidents: An NSA refused to notarize a document, but the signer physically held her in a parking lot until she complied; and another NSA visited a home to facilitate a loan document signing in which the signers became enraged about a few details and attempted to hold her against her will. Both Notaries are safe, and the incidents were reported to authorities.
Taking these few basic precautions can make all the difference to ensure your safety on mobile assignments:
- Make sure your cell or smart phone is charged.
- Inform a trusted person of the specifics of all your assignments. This should include the signer’s name, address and phone number and the times you expect to be there.
- Consider adding a geo-locating application to your smart phone, which will automatically send your location to designated individuals.
- Contact your trusted partner — either by call or text message — when you arrive, and have your partner contact you at designated times to make sure things are going smoothly. You can use preplanned code words to let your partner know if you need help.
- Bring someone with you if there is anything about a signing that is making you uncomfortable beforehand, whether it be the time of day or location.
- If you feel at risk for any reason, leave the assignment.
Safety is often a matter of taking precautions. While you may never need to use them, it’s better to be prepared for the worst.