Signed, Sealed … Stolen? Protecting Your Professional Seal from Misuse

Your professional seal isn’t just a formality. It represents your license, your reputation and your legal accountability. Unfortunately, it’s also a growing target for misuse.

Cases of fraudulent or unauthorized use of professional seals are on the rise—not only from scammers on platforms such as Upwork, Guru and Fiverr, but also from clients or builders who reuse sealed plans for new projects or alter plans without the designer’s knowledge. Such conduct exposes all parties to serious regulatory and liability risks.

The Risks of Seal Misuse

When your seal is misused, you could face:

• Investigations or disciplinary action by licensing boards.
• Liability for unsafe or defective work.
• Contract disputes or invalidated submittals.
• Damage to your professional reputation.

Even if you had no knowledge of the misuse, your name on the document can still tie you to the consequences.

How Seal Fraud Happens

• Scanned or copied seals and signatures applied without review.
• Builders or clients reusing sealed plans from past projects.
• Counterfeit seals used by parties impersonating licensed professionals online.

Digital workflows and outsourcing have made it easier for bad actors to replicate credentials and falsify design authority. But the risk extends beyond cybercriminals to clients and contractors who may see “reusing” sealed documents as a shortcut.

Real-World Examples

Residential Reuse Gone Wrong

An architect sealed a custom home design in 2023. In 2025, a neighboring building department contacted the architect with questions about plans recently submitted. The architect discovered the builder had reused the 2023 plans for a new project. Great American assisted in issuing notices to the builder, project owner, building department and licensing authority. The builder was ultimately held responsible.

Online Imposter

A drafting company alerted an architectural firm that someone on a freelance platform was posing as the firm principal, using their name, license number and seal. One project had already been completed using the fake credentials. With Great American’s assistance, law enforcement and licensing authorities were notified, and the plans were redacted. The impersonation was stopped before further damage occurred.

Builder’s Shortcut

A landscape architect submitted plans for a large commercial project. During permitting, the project architect noticed discrepancies between the sealed submittals and what the builder filed. The builder had modified the landscape architect’s plans without approval. Great American supported the architect in notifying the owner and permitting authority, and helped facilitate resolution. The builder accepted responsibility.

Mitigation Steps

Secure Your Seal

Treat your seal, signature and digital credentials as high-value assets. Limit access, use tamper-evident PDFs and keep a log of every sealed deliverable.

Strengthen Contracts

Include language that prohibits reuse, alteration or application of sealed documents to other projects without your written approval. Make clear that unauthorized use voids any responsibility.

Monitor

Periodically check freelance platforms for impersonators. Where possible, search public permit databases for unauthorized reuse of your sealed drawings.

Act Quickly

If your seal or signature is used without authorization, contact your insurer, notify your licensing authority and law enforcement, and document everything.

Takeaway

Your seal represents your professional integrity. Whether the threat comes from an online imposter or a client or builder cutting corners, unauthorized use can have serious consequences. Stay vigilant, review your contract language, monitor for misuse and involve us early—it’s your best defense against seal fraud.