Paperless Contracts can be a playground for fraud
E-signatures and paperless contracts have made life faster and easier. In the past, signing a contract meant printing it, signing by hand, mailing it, or meeting in person. Now, with just a few clicks, you can sign from your phone or laptop anywhere in the world. But this speed and convenience come with a dark side. The emergence of digital contracts has created new opportunities for fraud, and in some cases, it’s harder to spot and prove than with old-fashioned pen-and-paper agreements.
Why Fraudsters Love E-Signatures
E-signatures are legally valid in most places, which means they carry the same weight as a handwritten signature. The problem is that many e-signature platforms don’t do much to confirm someone’s identity before they sign. If a crooked salesman gets into your email or other online accounts, they may be able to sign contracts in your name without you knowing. Unlike a physical signature, there’s no handwriting to compare, so proving you didn’t sign can be very difficult.
Identity Theft Has Gone Digital
In the past, stealing someone’s identity often meant forging papers or pretending to be them in person. Now, thieves can buy stolen personal details online and use them to open accounts, take out loans, or make purchases—all without leaving their computer. These fake agreements can be created and signed in minutes. Many victims don’t even find out until they get a bill or a notice from a company they’ve never dealt with.
Forgery in the Digital Age
With handwritten signatures, experts can look for clues—like pen pressure, writing style, and unique letter shapes—to spot a forgery. But with e-signatures, there’s nothing physical to examine. Many systems let you “draw” a signature with a mouse or finger, but a scammer can copy yours from another document or even generate one that looks close enough.
Some platforms also allow typed signatures in a chosen font, which means anyone with your name can create a “signature” that looks official. This makes it easy for someone to forge your approval on contracts, loans, or property transfers without you ever knowing until it’s too late. Once it’s in the system, undoing the damage can take months—or even years—of legal battles.
How to Protect Yourself
When signing electronically, we recommend that you add the date immediately next to your signature. For example, this might look like “John Doe 8/15/2025.” Even if there is a separate space or line for the date, you reduce the risk of loss from a stolen signature by placing the date immediately next to your signature every time.
Signing Multiple Documents
If you are signing multiple documents but are asked to place your signature in a little box detached from the document, state an abbreviation of the document right next to your signature. For example, when buying a car, sign the odometer disclosure as “John Doe 8/15/2025 – Odometer.” Then sign the loan agreement “John Doe 8/15/2025 – Loan Agr.” This makes it more difficult for a crooked car dealer or merchant to affix your name to something you never signed.
Treat e-signatures like you would any serious financial transaction. Watch for red flags: bills or debt notices for accounts you didn’t open, unfamiliar charges, “confirmation” emails for contracts you don’t recognize, denied credit without reason, or sudden transfers of property. If you believe your identity has been stolen, take these steps.
Seek help from a Qualified Consumer Lawyer
If you see any of these signs—or even suspect something is wrong—act fast. Contact our law firm immediately.
Our attorneys will investigate your concern and evaluate how to undo the damage before it gets worse. We are here to protect your consumer rights.
Call: 888-668-1225
Email: consumers@consumerslaw.com
