Warning Genealogy Scams
Beginning Genealogy - Scams: "Not everyone who sells things on the Internet is honest.
There are several legitimate subscription-based web sites for genealogy.
This is a list of illegitimate ones. Sooner or later you'll get an e-mail offer from one of these people or someone running the same scam. If you do, put one hand on your wallet and back away slowly.
They promise millions of names (sometimes billions), take your money then give you links to RootsWeb, FamilySearch and the other free sites. They change names a lot. Here's a list. The dates are the first time I received a spam from the site. These are not links, and I've put some spaces in for legibility."
About November of 2002 these folks started mining the Gen Forum and Ancestry genealogy query boards. You will get a spam saying they may have data you asked for on the SMITH board just last month, and all you have to do is sign up for a trial subscription. Be warned - they lie. That one word, may is all that keeps them from getting convicted of wire fraud. I may have a pig that can fly. He may be in the back yard right now, grazing in the high branches of the apple tree like a hummingbird at a hibiscus blossom. If you give me $10 I will let you go out back and look. Don't expect me or your $10 to be here when you finish looking, though.
Read the names listed here - Scams
Site Map
There are several legitimate subscription-based web sites for genealogy.
This is a list of illegitimate ones. Sooner or later you'll get an e-mail offer from one of these people or someone running the same scam. If you do, put one hand on your wallet and back away slowly.
They promise millions of names (sometimes billions), take your money then give you links to RootsWeb, FamilySearch and the other free sites. They change names a lot. Here's a list. The dates are the first time I received a spam from the site. These are not links, and I've put some spaces in for legibility."
About November of 2002 these folks started mining the Gen Forum and Ancestry genealogy query boards. You will get a spam saying they may have data you asked for on the SMITH board just last month, and all you have to do is sign up for a trial subscription. Be warned - they lie. That one word, may is all that keeps them from getting convicted of wire fraud. I may have a pig that can fly. He may be in the back yard right now, grazing in the high branches of the apple tree like a hummingbird at a hibiscus blossom. If you give me $10 I will let you go out back and look. Don't expect me or your $10 to be here when you finish looking, though.
Read the names listed here - Scams
Site Map
posted by Hugh W at 7:30 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home