DocuSign - How do I tell if a signature is legitimate?
Environment

DocuSign eSignature

Solution

There are two methods of accessing the History and Certificate of Completion.

Method 1: From the envelope's Details page in your DocuSign account:

  • Click More, History, to review the History of events.
    DocuSign envelope details, More, History
  • At the bottom of the History window, click the Download Certificate button to download and review the Certificate of Completion.
    Download Certificate button on History window

Method 2: From the link in a DocuSign email notification:

  • After clicking the link to the document in an email notification, click the kebab icon in the upper right, and click View History to review the History of events, and View Certificate to review the Certificate of Completion.
    Kebab icon, History and Certificate

 

 

Additional Information

For example, this document appears to have been signed in DocuSign by three individuals:

Sample document showing three DocuSign signatures

 

However, in reviewing the History of this envelope, DocuSign only records two individuals acting upon the envelope:

Envelope History example

There is no record in the History of Tom D Smith acting upon this envelope.

The Certificate of Completion records that there are only two signatures on the document and provides an image of each of those signatures, as well as the internal ID associated with that signature. The Certificate also includes the university's billing address for the VCU DocuSign domain account.

Certificate of Completion with two signers

 

In the Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure portion of the Certificate, DocuSign records that only two parties agreed to sign the document:

Record and Signature Disclosure

The signature of Tom D Smith III in this example is a forgery. If you receive a forged DocuSign signature, please contact the Office of University Counsel for next steps.

Please remember that every signature on documents sent from the VCU DocuSign domain accounts is an agreement to do business with VCU:

Agreement to do business with VCU

 

Please thoroughly review the VCU DocuSign Training Roadmap for additional information regarding the purpose and function of the VCU DocuSign domain accounts. All use of a VCU DocuSign domain account is solely for legitimate VCU business. Additional information may be found in the article: DocuSign - I received a Violation of DocuSign System Use.