Pennsylvania Notary charged with document fraud in Philadelphia property theft scam

In the foreground, the scales of justice symbolize the legal consequences now facing the accused. Behind them, the official coat of arms of Pennsylvania is superimposed, anchoring the case within the state's authority and legal system. The shadowy silhouette of a person evokes secrecy, deception, or a figure under investigation—mirroring the alleged fraudulent actions.

An accidental Notary error can be bad enough. But when a Notary intentionally commits a crime, the damage to victims can be monumental, as seen in the case of a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Notary charged with using her commission to help steal nearly two dozen homes over several years.

Gwendolyn Schell, a Notary based in Germantown, was accused of forging signatures as part of a scheme to illegally transfer property deeds from both deceased and living homeowners, according to PhillyVoice.com. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Schell played a key part in the scheme by backdating execution dates on property documents, forging signatures of deceased grantors, and using a Notary stamp to falsely indicate she had witnessed individuals signing documents.

“A Notary Public is someone whose very job is to act as a gatekeeper to prevent fraud. Instead of doing that, Gwendolyn Schell not only allowed for fraud to occur but also actively engaged in and arranged for the theft of multiple properties here in our own communities,” said Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Esack, Supervisor of the DAO’s Economic Crimes Division. “The system of property transfer in Philadelphia cannot survive if we can no longer trust its participants, who are tasked with safeguarding the process. Gwendolyn Schell has broken that trust and will now be held accountable for that failure.”

Because of the vital role of Notaries in protecting the public against document fraud, a Notary must always adhere to high ethical standards and be on guard against unscrupulous individuals who may try to trick the Notary into ignoring or enabling fraud during a notarization.

For more information on how you can protect yourself and signers from possible document fraud, please read our article on types of criminals who target Notaries and how to spot illegal Notary requests. And if you encounter suspicious notarization requests and are not sure what to do, NNA members can call or email the NNA Notary Hotline for assistance.

David Thun is the Editorial Manager at the National Notary Association.

7 Comments

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Dana

15 Jul 2025

I'm wondering what her sentence was...hopefully it was a very long sentence. That's so messed up.

Michele Madison Robles

14 Jul 2025

People should always check property records to make sure their deed information is intact as well as property tax information. With scammers these days, it's best to check monthly to make sure nothing has changed. Also, cities and counties need to put extra measures in place any time deeds change names or addresses. When my father passed, I was contacted by so-called realtors and investors like crazy asking if I wanted to sell. While I was preparing to put the house on the market, I enlisted the help of neighbors to watch the property, plus we had an alarm to prevent squatters from moving in, especially since I lived out of town. It's easy to get death notices when death certificates are issued. If you have elderly family members, make sure they stay safe if you can. My father gave me POA, so I was able to stay on top of things for him to prevent anyone from taking advantage of him.

Kenneth James Friedlander

bye, bye Gwendolyn.

Rev. Dr. David Henry

it is rather unfortunate that the people who have been commissioned to protect the interests of the vulnerable. what is left for the unscrupulous to do in situations. This says a lot about whom you can actively trust to do what is right.

Left out

It is also THE PROBATE JUDGE, PROBATE ATTORNEYS AND GUARDIANS N CONSERVATORSHIPS. Usually it is the same 3 on the case. My moms attorney sold her out right here in greenwood county. A realestate attorney in his office building and his family, took the ORIGINAL wills encumberance completely off the deed. The encumberance, sold with the land, was not to subdivide. He left the easement. However, now the property has a new address with NO GRANTOR OR GRANTEE . Who is paying the taxes i wonder? At first they put my dead fathers name on tge property but i called and told the fake attorney that a dead man cant pay taxes. So next thing, my dead father shows up dead in the people dearch snd his name us removed. So from what i can see is the probate attorney isnt reporting the deceased name and they use his name to put property in. Then a year or 2 later, the attorney puts it in his nsme. This certain probate atty in ged was caught selling foreclosed properties to his family members. Then later on, putting the propetty in his name. He had the poeer and access bc he did foreclosures. Go figure. He denied everything but when i called him out on my dad, my dads name was removed off the property. In 6 days. So now there is 14.57 acres that 5 other kids got no inheritance from. How do i get these ppl in court so we can get whats ours. The value. Is 150,00.00. my moms share was sold for 50,000.00 and 5 kids got 2,700.00 but have no idea where the rest of the money went. Cant get any attorney to send me a copy of the accounting. I was beneficuary of my mothers stocks. Have never seen them!!!

Serena Kincanon

Thank you for the interesting and informative article.

Steven D Ransom

A Notary public can face criminal charges and other penalties for document fraud, including falsifying information on a certificate or engaging in illegal activities like backdating documents. These actions erode public trust and can have serious legal consequences, potentially leading to fines, imprisonment, and the loss of their commission. In essence, Notaries play a vital role in ensuring the integrity of documents and transactions, and their actions can have significant legal and financial repercussions if they violate their duties or engage in fraudulent activities.

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