 Before you start digging for your family roots online, check out the following guidelines to help spot and avoid common genealogy scams. 4 common genealogy scams:
1. | Misleading software and services. Some genealogical software products and online services can be misleading about what they actually provide, such as compiled surname and family tree data. In most cases this information is freely available on the Internet. It could be argued that these products and services do some of the work for you, but it's a good idea to check out free sources including Cyndi's List, RootsWeb, and Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter before you reach for a credit card. | 2. | The old phony inheritance ploy. This scam is designed to separate would-be rightful heirs from their money through bogus processing costs. Here's how it works: You are informed that unclaimed inheritance connected to your family must be settled, and details on how to claim the inheritance will be sent to you—after you pay various service fees to the informer to handle the lost estate, which never existed to begin with.  Tip: Learn more about other scams like this by reading How to spot and avoid advance fee frauds. | 3. | The complete family history of [your surname here]! Perhaps you've seen one of these advertisements, offering a one-of-a-kind book about your family history, sometimes going back several centuries. In reality, these books are often mass-produced, glorified phone directories that associate your surname with a list of randomly selected names, accompanied by a brief generic history unrelated to your actual family. Better bet: Stick to doing the research yourself. | 4. | Bad genealogists. Although certifications are available from private sources, genealogists are unregulated and do not require an official license. Anyone can legally claim to be one. Genealogical data is easy to fake, and con artists have taken advantage of this. Those seeking a genealogist should rely on verifiable references or a legitimate third party such as the Association of Professional Genealogists. |
Publish genealogical informationThe Internet is a great place to share genealogical information about your own or someone else's family, but be aware that this information could be used by identity thieves searching for personal data to hijack your credit, or by scam artists who want to sell your own information back to you bundled as a cheaply made book or software program. (There are legitimate companies that can package your genealogical data professionally. Check with reputable genealogical groups for more information). Remove personal informationIf you decide to publish genealogical data online for others to enjoy, you should remove any personal information of all members shown, including: | • | Full names (use only initials when possible) | | • | Social Security numbers | | • | Complete dates of birth (show only the year instead) | | • | Specific home addresses of family members, including former addresses | | • | Phone numbers | | • | E-mail addresses | | • | Private affiliations, such as fraternities and sororities | | • | Private holdings, such as real estate or deeds of trust |
Don't give away potential passwordsAlso, chances are that someone in your family has used another family member's name (either the human or animal variety) as a password itself. It's a common practice for online businesses such as credit card companies to use maiden names or pet names as a method to retrieve forgotten passwords, so it's a good idea to remove these references entirely. Tip: To learn how to create more secure passwords for all of your online accounts, read Strong passwords: How to create and use them.
Create a private communityTo help keep your genealogical information confidential, one solution is to publish family trees, histories, and photos on one of the many online communities that offer private Web space secured with a password, for example MSN Groups. You can then share this password-protected community privately with family or friends.
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