When a Stamp Isn’t What It Seems: How Municipalities Can Spot – and Stop – Professional Identity Fraud

By Notarius, a Portage CyberTech Company

As municipalities increasingly rely on digital submissions, the integrity of professional seals and signatures has never been more critical. Recent high-profile cases have shown just how easily these credentials can be forged.

In July of this year, CBC’s The Fifth Estate uncovered a troubling case of professional identity fraud in Ontario. A forged architect’s seal was discovered on blueprints the professional had never seen, let alone approved. The signature was faked, the documents looked legitimate; they were submitted by a remote contractor posing as a licensed professional.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated incident.

Shortly before, another case emerged in Atlantic Canada. This time, a “Mr. James Williams”, claiming to be a California-based engineer, submitted counterfeit documents for residential projects in Nova Scotia and PEI. The deception was only brought to light when a Building Official attempted to verify the engineer’s credentials, only to discover that no such person existed. 

These stories highlight a growing challenge that municipalities face, not just in detecting fraud, but in preventing it altogether.

In the sections that follow, we’ll explore how municipal staff can strengthen their review processes and verify the authenticity of professional seals and signatures using trusted, accessible tools.

The Hidden Risks: Why Municipalities Are Vulnerable to Identity Fraud

While fraudsters may not be targeting municipalities directly, it’s the cities and towns that ultimately receive and review these documents. That means the responsibility, and the risk, falls squarely on municipal staff.

In Ontario and across Canada, municipal teams play a vital role in protecting public safety through the approval of architectural, engineering and other professional documents. Whether it’s a new subdivision, a commercial retrofit, or a public infrastructure project, decisions are made based on the assumption that every seal and signature is legitimate.

But that assumption is increasingly being tested. Fraudsters are exploiting gaps in identity verification to submit forged documents that appear authentic. They use stolen or fabricated seals and signatures to bypass regulatory scrutiny and profit from unauthorized work.

This isn’t just a concern for regulators or professional associations. It’s a direct threat to municipalities, who may unknowingly approve unsafe or non-compliant projects based on fraudulent documentation. The consequences can be serious:

• Public safety risks from unverified or substandard engineering and architectural work
• Legal liability if a municipality approves a project based on forged credentials
• Erosion of trust in the permitting and inspection process

In a digital-first environment where remote work is the norm, how can municipalities be sure the person behind the stamp is real, licensed, and authorized to practice?

Digital Defense: Verifying Credentials with Confidence

The good news is that municipalities don’t have to navigate this alone. With the right tools, every seal and signature can be verified before approval—quickly and easily.

Free, public verification tools, like VerifiO, are built specifically for municipalities, building officials, and other document recipients. It allows the verifier to instantly confirm whether a digital signature or seal is:

• Authenticated by a trusted certificate authority
• Issued by an association to a licensed professional in good standing
• Tamper-proof and unaltered

No training required. No software installation. Just drag and drop the PDF and get a clear result.

For high-volume environments or automated workflows, VerifiO Server offers a paid, integrated solution that connects directly to your document management system, flagging invalid or suspicious signatures before they reach municipal teams.

But municipalities aren’t just on the receiving end. They also prepare, manage, and send a wide range of documents every day. Whether it’s internal approvals between administration and service departments or formal agreements with external collaborators, ensuring those documents are securely signed and validated is just as important.

Purpose-built for the public sector, ConsignO Cloud is an electronic signature platform that allows municipalities to send, sign and authenticate documents in a way that is legally reliable and fully traceable. Hosted in Canada, ConsignO Cloud ensures every signature meets the most stringent requirements in the country with features like: 

• Cryptographic protection of every signature to guarantee document integrity
• Built-in digital sealing and PDF/A conversion for long-term validation and archiving
• Full audit trails that capture signer identity, timestamp, and signing actions
• Role-based access controls to manage signer permissions and document flow

Together, VerifiO and ConsignO Cloud provide municipalities with a complete ecosystem for secure, compliant, and efficient digital document management. 

Beyond Security: When Documents Demand Higher Assurance 

Municipalities may sometimes require an even higher level of assurance, especially when documents involve professional accountability or strict regulatory compliance.

Let’s revisit the two cases of professional identity fraud reported in the news.

Even if the individuals involved had been real engineers or architects, an electronic signature, while secure, still wouldn’t confirm whether they were licensed, in good standing, or authorized to practice. 

The truth is, no tool can guarantee control over the image of a professional seal or signature. Not where it ends up. Not how it’s used. Not whether it’s misused.

In situations where forged blueprints, engineering calculations, or inspection reports pose a real risk to public safety, municipalities need more than a secure signature platform. They need irrefutable proof that the signer is a licensed professional in good standing. They need a verifiable digital signature certificate.

CertifiO for Professionals: The Gold Standard in Verified Signatures

Digital signature standards have been in place for over 30 years. And for nearly as long, regulators and professional associations across Canada have relied on CertifiO for Professionals to safeguard their members and the public.

CertifiO for Professionals is a government-grade digital signature certificate issued by professional associations to their licensed members. Unlike an electronic signature, CertifiO confirms not only the signer’s identity but also their professional status and authorization to practice. It’s the official solution adopted by more than 60 associations nationwide.

Here’s how CertifiO protects municipalities:

1. Verified Identity, Up Front
   Before a certificate is issued, the signer must complete a rigorous, face-to-face identity verification process using two government-issued IDs. No shortcuts. No guesswork.
    
2. Real-Time Professional Oversight
   Each certificate is directly linked to the signer’s professional status. If their license is suspended or revoked by their regulator (e.g., PEO, OAA), the certificate is automatically disabled—ensuring only professionals in good standing can sign.
    
3. Embedded, Tamper-Proof Signature
   Unlike a stamp or signature image that can be copied and reused, the CertifiO digital signature is embedded in the document’s metadata. It is cryptographically sealed and cannot be counterfeited.
    
4. Transparent Audit Trail
   Every signature captures a full snapshot of the document’s contents and prevents unauthorized changes. Markups and annotations can still be added via PDF comments, but the signed version remains protected and auditable. In contrast, images and password-protected PDFs offer no real security—many can be bypassed with free online tools.

No watermarks. No guesswork. Just secure, encryption-based protection that works with Adobe Reader, Bluebeam, AutoCAD, ConsignO Cloud, and more. CertifiO for Professionals turns every document into a self-contained, verifiable record of truth.

Lead the Way: Protect Your Municipality from Professional Identity Fraud

Municipalities are on the front lines of public safety, acting as the gatekeepers of construction, infrastructure, and development. And in a digital world, that means being vigilant about the documents they receive.

By adopting trusted tools like VerifiO, ConsignO Cloud and CertifiO, municipalities can:

• Prevent fraud before it happens
• Ensure only licensed professionals are signing off on critical work
• Protect their staff, their community, and their reputation

Don’t wait for the next headline. 
Discover how your municipality can simplify and secure document workflows.