Updated
Confidentiality notice wording you can copy
We wrote these three for anyone to use. Copy one as it is or change it to suit you, and if your organization requires its own wording, use that instead.
General
This fax is confidential and intended only for the person or office named above. If you received it by mistake, please tell the sender by phone, don't share or copy it, and destroy the pages.
Health information
This fax contains health information that is confidential. It is intended only for the person or office named above. If you received it by mistake, please call the sender right away, don't read further or share it, and destroy the pages.
For more on faxing health information, see the medical cover sheet page.
Legal
This fax is confidential and may be protected by attorney-client privilege. It is intended only for the person named above. If you received it by mistake, please call the sender, don't read, copy or share it, and return or destroy the pages.
These are sample wordings, not legal advice. A notice can't undo a fax sent to the wrong number.
Keep private details off the cover sheet
Anyone near the machine sees the cover sheet first. Keep it to names, numbers, the date, the page count and a plain subject. Account numbers, Social Security numbers, health details and anything else private go on the pages behind it. The IRS says the same about Social Security numbers and EINs on its pages about faxing some tax forms.
Send a private fax carefully
- Check the number twice. Copy it from the letter or form, and confirm it with the recipient if you can.
- Call ahead and ask them to watch for it, so the pages don't sit in a shared tray.
- Write the total number of pages on the cover sheet, counting the cover sheet itself.
- Check the delivery status or the confirmation report to make sure it arrived.
Questions
What is a confidentiality notice on a fax?
A short statement on the cover sheet that says the fax is private and meant only for the named recipient. It asks anyone who gets it by mistake to tell the sender and destroy it.
Does a confidentiality notice make a fax secure?
No. It asks a wrong recipient to do the right thing, but it can't stop anyone from reading the pages. The most important step is making sure the fax number is right before you send.
Where does the confidentiality notice go?
On the cover sheet, where it's easy to see, such as across the top or in a box near the bottom. The confidential design prints it in a box.
Can I write my own confidentiality statement?
Yes, and keep it to two or three lines that say the fax is confidential, who it's for, and what to do if it reached the wrong person. If you work in health care or law, use the wording your organization requires.
To send it from your iPhone, scan the cover sheet and your pages in FaxFair and type the fax number. We delete your document from our servers once the fax is delivered or fails. The app has free cover pages of its own too. Your first fax is free, up to 40 pages, and after that you pay per fax, with no subscription. You can also upload the pages at faxfair.com and fax them from there, for $2.49 up to 40 pages.
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