It’s a new year, and some legal experts are warning that with a new year could come a new way to defraud honest consumers.
Several police departments and tax experts have put out cautionary posts about the danger of abbreviating the year 2020 to “20” on legal documents since the new year arrived. Though dates can be altered on any professional or legal document, it may be a bit easier to do so with 2020. Since the year numerical also reflects the millennium, a number can be added to an abbreviated date on a document with ease. For instance, signing a document “1/12/20” could be changed with no red mark in sight to “1/12/2018.” Adding those digits could make a legal document invalid.
The East Millinocket Police Department posted a similar example on its Facebook page via a meme created by George E. Moore Law Office LLC. The post from the Maine police department has been shared more than 5,000 times since New Year’s Day.
“This is sound advice and should be considered when signing any legal or professional document. It could potentially save you some trouble down the road,” reads the post.
Dusty Rhodes, an Ohio auditor, also shed light on the likelihood of a document becoming fraudulent if a full date is not signed with your signature.
When writing the date in 2020, write the year in its entirety. It could possibly protect you and prevent legal issues on paperwork. Example: If you just write 1/1/20, one could easily change it to 1/1/2017 (for instance) and now your signature is on an incorrect document.
— Dusty Rhodes (@AuditorRhodes) December 31, 2019
Here are a few other tips when signing documents from the Attorney’s Information Bureau:
Read instructions first
Always read the instructions before you complete and file your own legal documents.
Sign in all spots
Carefully comb through all of your legal paperwork to make sure you’ve signed everywhere required.
Use a black pen
Fill in the blanks on legal forms with black ink. Use clear, legible handwriting. Avoid using cursive unless you’re signing a document.
Get it notarized
Some legal documents require notarization by an authorized notary.
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