What role does a notary play in preventing fraud?

A notary plays a crucial role in preventing fraud primarily by verifying identities and ensuring the authenticity of documents. This verification process involves confirming that the individual signing a document is indeed who they claim to be and that they are signing it willingly and under no coercion. This is typically done through the examination of valid identification and the proper completion of notarial acts.

By establishing the identities of signers and confirming the legitimacy of documents, notaries help deter fraudulent activities such as identity theft or the signing of forged documents. Their actions add an official layer of trust and reliability to the notarized document, making it more difficult for fraud to occur.

Other roles that a notary might take, such as serving as witnesses or advisors, do not directly address the prevention of fraud in the same way as identity verification and document authenticity. Additionally, notaries are not responsible for legal disputes or providing legal representation, as those functions fall outside their scope of duties and require specific legal qualifications.