I get the privilege of speaking with appraisers all over North America as a part of my work. This is a group of people who, in my humble opinion, are not often given the due they deserve. You need someone to get a report done for you tomorrow, helping you out of a jamb? "No problem" is the response heard more often than not.

So here's something that concerns me, because it's a real concern for appraisers and lenders everywhere: unauthorized appraisal report edits. Also known as fraud.

"We are experiencing appraisal reports being fraudulently edited after signing them ... we have discovered three in the last two months."

With PDF software being as advanced as it is, appraisers can take measures to make editing reports more difficult. Here are some simple things that can be done:

• set a password to edit the document ;
• set the print resolution to low so it cannot be printed in a high quality and then be scanned as an editable document;
• date and time stamp every page in the report
• only send redacted copies to anyone that isn't the end user/client of the report. For example, a mortgage broker copy of the report shouldn't include the appraiser's signature, and should be watermarked that it is a draft.

Value Connect appraisal report building software provides several security features that reduce the risk of fraud. These include:

• Date & Time stamp on every page
• Report Version Number
• Redacted copy of report sent to mortgage brokers and specialists. Lender/Underwriting receives the full report;
• Once the report is completed, the lender receives an email invitation to view the report on-line via our web portal

At Value Connect, we do things differently. We're interested in raising the bar for the appraisal and lending industries, using technology to eliminate fraud and enhance report security. Call us if you'd like more details!