FINRA Warns Member Firms of E-Signature Violations

Posted on August 24th, 2022 at 1:35 PM
FINRA Warns Member Firms of E-Signature Violations

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has issued a regulatory notice warning financial advisor firms to closely monitor how advisors utilize third-party digital signature platforms amidst a spike in forgery and falsifications.

While digital signature tools have increased efficiency, they also come with a heightened risk of forgery or falsification, according to FINRA. FINRA noted that firms have reported issues with forged signatures from clients on account opening documents, account activity letters, and internal firm documents. FINRA recommended that firms employ digital signature tools to track Internet Protocol (IP) addresses illustrating where the document was signed. For example, firms have discovered cases where the UP address for the client e-signature and the advisor were the same.

In alternative cases, advisors had sent e-signature documents to their own emails to be signed rather than to the client. FINRA additionally recommended that firms rely on advisor support staff to monitor for potential violations.

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, advisors, law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I just wanted to say thanks again for preparing and executing my case in such a professional manner. It was a pleasure to watch two professionals take such pride in their work, as well as becoming personally in tune with your client (Me). I would personally recommend you and your firm to anyone.

John O.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

February 27, 2026
Eighth Circuit Rejects Emergency Injunction in Advisor Departure Dispute

A federal appeals court ruled against an advisory firm seeking immediate, injunctive relief after a team of advisors left with hundreds of millions in client assets.

February 26, 2026
FINRA Bars Former Cambridge Advisor After Refusal to Cooperate With Communications Probe

A former advisor affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research has been barred from the securities industry after declining to comply with a regulatory investigation, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

February 25, 2026
Advisors Increase Crypto Allocations as Merrill Lynch Warns of Significant Risks

Financial advisors are placing more client assets into digital currencies, even as major firms caution investors about the asset class's volatility and speculative nature.