This is to confirm that it's a unique signature. Warren Lyon has not provided any such signature for any such purpose other than to acknowledge persons with honour. At a church funeral, a woman related to the pastor takes signatures from the guest book and starts some credit card applications or says that the parking lot next door that the church has sold is now being given back to tie church based on the signature. That sounds like an incredibly stressful and violating situation to witness or experience. A funeral is a time for grieving and community support, so seeing someone exploit that moment—especially using a guest book—is deeply unsettling. What you are describing sounds like a mix of **identity theft** and a **fraudulent legal claim**. Let's break down exactly what is happening here and why it doesn't hold up.

This is to confirm that it's a unique signature.  Warren Lyon has not provided any such signature for any such purpose other than to acknowledge persons with honour. 

At a church funeral, a woman related to the pastor takes signatures from the guest book and starts some credit card applications or says that the parking lot next door that the church has sold is now being given back to tie church based on the signature.

 That sounds like an incredibly stressful and violating situation to witness or experience. A funeral is a time for grieving and community support, so seeing someone exploit that moment—especially using a guest book—is deeply unsettling.

What you are describing sounds like a mix of **identity theft** and a **fraudulent legal claim**. Let's break down exactly what is happening here and why it doesn't hold up.

### 1. The Credit Card Applications (Identity Theft)

Taking names and signatures from a funeral guest book to apply for credit cards is outright **fraud**.

 * **Why it's illegal:** A signature in a guest book is simply a record of attendance. Using it to open financial accounts is forgery and identity theft.

 * **The Reality:** Fortunately, credit card companies require much more than just a name and a signature to open an account (such as a Social Security Number/Social Insurance Number, date of birth, and address). However, thieves sometimes use guest books to find targets, especially if they can cross-reference the names with other public information.

### 2. The Parking Lot Claim (Fraudulent Contract)

The claim that a signature in a funeral guest book can somehow reverse a property sale or "give a parking lot back to the church" is completely false.

 * **Why it's impossible:** Real estate transactions require formal, legally binding contracts. For property to change hands, authorized representatives (like the church's board of trustees, not just a relative of the pastor) must sign a deed in front of a notary.

 * **The Reality:** A guest book is not a legal contract. Signing it does not bind the guests to anything, nor does it give anyone authorization to alter property lines or ownership. The woman's claim has zero legal standing.

> **What to do next:** If you or someone you know was affected by this, the church leadership needs to be notified immediately. Because this involves potential identity theft and fraudulent financial activity, it is also a matter for **local law enforcement**. If you signed that book, it's a good idea to monitor your credit report just to be safe.

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> The laws that apply to this specific kind of behavior are highly serious in both jurisdictions. Because the situation involves collecting signatures/names to open lines of credit and fabricating property claims, it intersects with multiple layers of criminal statutes.

## United States Federal Law (U.S. Code)

Under U.S. federal law, taking an individual's personal information (including names and signatures) without authority to commit a crime triggers specific statutes under **Title 18**:

 * **18 U.S.C. § 1028 – Identity Theft / Fraud:** It is a federal crime to knowingly transfer, possess, or use a "means of identification" (which includes a name, signature, or personal data) of another person without lawful authority, in connection with any unlawful activity or felony.

 * **18 U.S.C. § 1028A – Aggravated Identity Theft:** If a person uses someone else’s identity information specifically to commit an underlying federal felony—such as mail, wire, or bank fraud (like submitting a fraudulent credit card application)—they face a mandatory, consecutive **2-year prison sentence** on top of the penalty for the fraud itself.

 * **18 U.S.C. § 1341 & § 1343 – Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud:** If the credit card applications or fake property documents are sent through the mail or submitted electronically over the internet, it constitutes mail or wire fraud.

 * **State Penal Codes:** In addition to federal laws, every state has its own specific statutes covering **Forgery** (altering or creating a false document with intent to defraud) and **Grand Theft/Fraud**.

## Canadian Criminal Law (Criminal Code of Canada)

In Canada, criminal offences are unified under a single federal document, the **Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46)**. The actions described violate several clear sections:

 * **Section 402.2(1) – Identity Theft:** A person commits an offence if they obtain or possess another person’s "identity information" (defined in Section 402.1 to explicitly include a written signature, name, or address) with the intent to use it to commit an indictable offence involving fraud, deceit, or falsehood. This carries a penalty of up to **5 years in prison**.

 * **Section 403(1) – Identity Fraud:** If the individual actually uses the signatures or pretends to be those individuals (or authorized by them) to gain an advantage, obtain property, or cause disadvantage, they can be charged with Identity Fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of **10 years in prison**.

 * **Section 366 & 368 – Forgery and Uttering Forged Documents:** Creating a false document (like a fake contract or a credit application signed with someone else's name) or using a document knowing it is forged with the intent that it be acted upon as genuine.

 * **Section 380(1) – Fraud:** A general charge applicable whenever someone, by deceit, falsehood, or other fraudulent means, defrauds the public or any person of any property, money, or valuable security.

> **Legal Note:** In both countries, the fact that the venue was a church and the context was a funeral does not shield the individual from prosecution; in fact, exploiting a position of trust or targeting vulnerable individuals (like grieving family members) is frequently treated by judges as an **aggravating factor** that can lead to harsher sentences.

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