Company seemingly forges their former employee's signature on a company NDA after they quit: ‘[I want] my name off any documents I did not sign’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Nov 3, 2025 6:00 AM EST

Companies will do anything but tell the truth.

When you quit a job, your company doesn't have the right to retaliate against you in evil ways. That doesn't stop them, however, from doing that anyway. If you're quitting, you're likely doing so for a valid reason. So, a company will do anything in its power to save itself, its information, and reputation before it even considers keeping your head above water.

It makes sense in theory, but legally? That's a big no-no. We've all been scorned by one company or another, but it doesn't usually take the form of a forged online document.

The employee in this next story quit their job, but they've noticed that their company still has their headshots and title up on the company website. Now, they've realized that their name is on an NDA provided by the company, electronically signed, even though they know they did not sign it. The former employer swears it was auto-populated… But what do you think? Is this simply a misunderstanding in an ocean of electronic mishaps? Either way, the employee is frustrated with the thought of their name being stamped on unknown documents. Scroll below to read the full story.

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  • 01
    a cell phone sitting on top of a wooden table with the docusign app open
    via appshunter.io (Unsplash)
  • 02

    "Former employer kept my headshot and title on their site after I quit, and yesterday a vendor sent me a DocuSign that shows I ‘signed’ an NDA for the company"

    Location: California I left a mid sized tech company in San Jose in early September, returned the laptop, did the exit interview, final paycheck cleared.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 03
    Two weeks later a friend pinged me saying my face was still on the team page with my old title.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 04
    I emailed HR and marketing asking them to remove my profile and stop using my name.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 05
    They replied thanks for the note, will do. It stayed up. I followed up again last week with screenshots and a very plain request, take down my headshot, remove my name and title, and please stop using my bio in sales decks.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 06
    No response. Yesterday it got worse. A vendor emailed me a copy of an NDA saying thanks for signing.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 07
    The DocuSign shows my full name typed and the same stylized signature I used on internal HR forms last year.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 08
    It lists my former job title and says I am an authorized signatory for the company.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 09
    The envelope ID belongs to my old company admin account, not my personal email. I am not an employee.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 10
    I never clicked anything. My old work email is disabled, but I can see in the audit trail that it was routed to a generic legal inbox and someone "applied template fields." When I asked my former manager he said it was just the standard template and my signature probably autopopulated from last time.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 11
    He said not to worry, legal wanted it done fast. I am worried, because my name is on a contract for a company I do not work for.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 12
    Questions, what is the correct way to make them stop using my name and picture and to deal with the NDA that shows my signature.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 13
    angry man working from home on a computer with his hands up in surprise
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 14
    Do I send a written cease and desist, or is there a specific California right of publicity or identity misuse claim that fits.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 15
    Do I need to file a police report if they actually reused my signature image, or is that overk I.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 16
    Should I contact DocuSign support to flag the signature as unauthorized and ask for revocation, or is that something only the company can do.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 17
    The NDA says California law and has my title under the signature block, so I am worried a vendor could rely on it and I get pulled into something.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 18
    I kept copies of the team page, the sales deck pdf with my bio, the DocuSign certificate of completion, and the emails to HR.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 19
    I also still have my offer letter and my resignation acceptance from HR that shows my last day.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 20
    I can afford a consult if needed, I just want to know the right first step that preserves my options.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 21
    I do not want damages or anything, I just want my face off their website and my name off any documents I did not sign.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 22
    If it matters, I never had officer authority, I was a product marketing lead, and only the COO used to sign NDAS.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 23
    Any advice on the order of actions, certified letter to HR and legal, report to DocuSign, complaint to state AG or something like that.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 24
    Thank you, and I will not PM anyone, I will reply here with any extra info that is safe to share.
    via Zoiseppher
  • 25
    More Door1874 Have your attorney send a letter to the company that has your name on their contract informing them the contract is not valid because you are not employed by company, have no interest related to Company and the contract, did not sign the contract, did not authorize company to use your name on the contract, and will pursue all legal avenues to hold both companies liable for damages not limited to identity theft and fraud. That should help accelerate your prior employer remove your i
    via MoreDoor1874
  • 26
    Spiderisinmyhead NAL but the quickest way to solve this might be to respond back to the vendor saying, "I'm sorry I did not actually sign that document. I no longer work there and am not sure why my signature got used". Let the ball roll downhill from there.
    via Spiderisinmyhead
  • 27
    gormami That's what I would do. As a good citizen, warn them that the NDA was not signed by an authorized signatory for the company because you no longer are employed there. I'm sure their counsel would appreciate knowing that.
    via gormami
  • 28
    VelourWink Yup, notifying the vendor covers you legally too. Once they know the signature isn't valid, it's out of your hands and the company's legal team will have to deal with the fallout.
    via VelourWink

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