Now here’s an odd sign of the times: A new law passed in Virginia allows Notary Publics to Notarize documents via Webcam.  They claim this will vastly increase the security of the notarization process, although I can see dozens of ways this can go wrong.

Bill HB 2318 – now the law of the state – was created as a way to counteract notary fraud such as that most recently seen in the “robo-signing” frauds conducted during the foreclosure crisis.

Virginia’s law outlines a model for notarization that vastly increases the security of notarial transactions. Webcam-based notarization can reduce vulnerability to fraud while also being more convenient, particularly for disabled consumers. NotaryNow, the online notary service, intends to utilize the law in its own service offering.

I don’t know the details of the law, but this is both an exciting and scary proposition.  What do you think?

via Virginia Passes Law Allowing Webcam Notarization.

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