Meet Your 2005-2006 National Association of Mortgage Brokers Officers and Board of Directors

National Notary Association publishes fraud protection tips mortgagepress.comfraud awareness, tips, National Notary Association To assist with the FBI's efforts in promoting mortgage fraud awareness, the National Notary Association (NNA) has published a list of "Tips to Protect Yourself From Mortgage Fraud at Closing." The tips outline aspects of the typical closing that are susceptible to mortgage fraud. Federal officials and mortgage banking industry representatives have recently identified mortgage fraud as a significant problem nationwide, with the potential to rival the country's savings and loan associations crisis of the 1980s. Notarization is an effective weapon against mortgage fraud because it verifies identity, proves willingness and awareness on the part of the signer, authenticates signatures, and creates an auditable evidence trail for prosecution. In addition, the notarial seal is an authenticating tool that is used by law enforcement in detecting cases of document tampering. "We view our NNA notaries as 'guardians of property rights' because they are uniquely suited to protect consumers and businesses from fraud through their roles as professional identity screeners and impartial witnesses," said Tim Reiniger, executive director of the NNA. "Our notaries are trained and have access to the most up-to-date information on proper documentation and witnessing." The NNA has also issued the FBI a five-page document that describes the use of notarization in deterring, detecting and prosecuting forgery and other forms of identity crimes. The document also reminds officers that notarizations are available to law enforcement agencies as part of ongoing criminal investigations. To view a copy of the NNA's "Tips to Protect Yourself From Mortgage Fraud at Closing," visit www.nationalnotary.org.