Genealogy Chat

Hi List, I know this has been mentioned before but people are still too trusting with the info they share with other's. We all like to make new contacts but some take everything without asking. This is the age of Identity Fraud, once caught out it takes forever to rectify, I know it happend to my son it was a nightmare it took us four years to put right. Just a warning to everyone reasearching PLEASE don't put your DOB. or the address where you live in your tree because when you do a search it will all show up for everyone to see. I think it's about time Genes tried to do something about letting people put in details like this. I've been a member since almost the begining and it's a great site & great members except for the few that take without asking I hope you don't mind me sounding off like this, please just be careful. Regards Jill

Hi Jill I agree - I put very few details on here. It worries me when I see some names of people - babies - who were born just a year or two ago - makes me wonder how much info some people do include in their trees. Jill

I think most GR members are totally unaware of the security glitches that mean people are given access to their trees without their knowledge. Ive removed my tree from here now following some disturbing incidences and I am still receiving almost daily emails giving me access to people's trees who I have never contacted and indeed who I have no connection to. I will sometimes click on the view to see if there is an obvious connection and I can read the tree originators date of birth, job, hubby etc. Its horrifying.

Theres also TOO much info given on the 'trying to find' board! They give thier name and DOB also parents DOBs....town and county where born..... Criminals of fraud must think it's xmas and birthdays all in one on this site!!!! Gerri.....(aged 22 from timbucktoooo) lol.....not ;-)

I NEVER OPEN MY TREE AND KEEP THE LEAST INFO ON THERE I HAVE MINE ALL ON PAPER SJ

I agree, too, Jill. A while ago I had a contact who opened their tree to me and I was astounded how much information was on it - even down to the fact that either they (or someone in their immediate family) had had a premature baby who died at birth or something very similar. When I saw it, it just seemed much too personal a thing to be on this site. Another contact I made had added their teenage children and written in their notes which schools or colleges they attended. What with little Maddie McCann being in the news so recently, it is a bit worrying that people on this site are putting enough information on their tree that any ill-meaning contacts could quite easily locate these schools and possibly track down the children in these trees. As someone has said a long time ago, you don't know that every contact is as genuine and well-meaning as you may be yourself.

I have spent years warning the naive on here, suggested a beginner board and given up in despair. There used to be an old saying that some people are 'born to be hanged' I am old enough to throw up my hands and saying that there are more suckers waiting to be fleeced than when I was younger.( and there were enough then) We were suspicious and wary of the 'wide boys',the oddly behaved, and the ones to be wary of. Age brings with it a certain weary acceptance that you can't change human frailities . Frankly if they don't take responibility for their own actions, then Hard Luck. Just don't waste space moaning about it . Dem

Sorry Didn't mean to intimate that this thread was a moan( just reread my post)! Meant to comment on the people who have been stupid enough to give their identities away Dem

Totally agree Dem ...... there's just some people you can't tell.... well you can tell ....but it doesn't sink in. In fact the whole of the internet is a death trap for some people. My tree has one person in now.........me ....the rest is on paper, as I'm starting to think the whole world's gone mad... must be an age thing...... lol Right ....... that's my moan over with as well!!! jean

Very good advice, but there are other things you need to do as well. Remove your name and address from the phone book, and tear up your check book. How many people put their address on the back of a cheque?

Hi All, I still think it's up to Genes to do something about this, as a lot of us that's been on here from almost the begining it's not got any better, and now with so many more members using the site it's only fair I think that Genes must pop back and forth like big brother. After all if we didn't join there wouldn't be a Genes Connected / Reunited would there? Regards Jill

I've just sent GR a message about this, suggesting that there should be an automatic block on living individuals being displayed. It's a subject that come up time and again. Perhaps if we ALL wrote in EVERY time we noticed it, they may take some notice?? (Or they may not! But it's worth trying, surely?) Bee.

I don't understand all the hoo haa about showing living relations ! Go to your 'My Account Details' and tick the 'Hide Living Relations' box............................simple !!! Only the tree owner see's the full list whilst others cannot. Personally, I think that in the main, the problem is PEBCAMS.

Thing is Merv, not everyone is computer/internet savvy - as you have pointed out, you go to your account and click hide living rellies, but I would bet 90% of the members dont even know how to access their account on here. Only a tiny minority use these boards - when I have suggested to people to use them they are amazed they actually exist! They have come here, paid their money, managed to enter their family details and thats it. GR should be aware of that and protect the members automatically. And Im not sure with all the glitches that the hide living rellies tab works - lots of people have complained living rellies have shown up on others trees. I am still getting opened trees in my post and certainly they give every detail of the originators.

Hi What I find that even the most well connected family member has really p****d me off.. I did a file for a 2nd cousin with my family details on.... I know I have'nt sent the file to anyone else.. This file has been forwarded to another contact who then proceeded to add me .. my siblings.. my parents ..my cousins.. to his tree... I neither gave him permission to use my notes which all turned up on here.. but he also breached all the genes laws going by adding living relatives to a tree who he did not have permission to add.. after a struggle to get him to take my details off here.. I have found all my notes .. my parents.. etc.. splashed all over ancestry... I would'nt do that to someone .. and if people were genuine family historians knowing the potential of Identity theft etc etc these days people just would'nt do it.. and really should'nt do it.. My tree still stands in its entirety on ancestry.. with all my notes that I had first made.... yet there's no personal details in about his own family.... I could name him.. but you know who you are.... Mo Plus I know you must have resubmitted my tree onto genes as my grandmother has just come up in my hotmatches again.. you cannot add a grandmother without having my parents to say the least I am not impressed

I've had this response from GR:- ' 'Thanks for your email. When you give someone access to your tree you can privatise the details of it. This will hide details you have entered for individuals born in the last 120yrs with no death date except for your own entry. To privatise your tree simply go to My Account Details, which can be accessed with your password from the top left hand corner of the page. You can then choose 'yes' where it says 'Hide living relations'. The names can still be found in the search results with the year and place of birth. No other information about the relation will be available though. I hope this helps. Best regards, Abuse Administrator The Genes Support Team' ' As someone - Heather? - said, not everyone knows how to do this, and some people may not realise the risks to identity fraud, let alone confidentiality. Anyone know how GR would stand re Data Protection? Who would be liable, them or the person 'permitting' the info to be displayed? I'm going to try them again. Anyone want to join me in bombarding them with complaints of abuse of the site? Bee.

After reading all these replies I've just decided to hide my living relatives. To make sure the info is hidden I've also deleted birth dates of all living relatives except birth years. I always suspected info could be used for identity fraud but reading these replies confirms my paranoia. Isn't there some advice stated by GR to ask people before copying their tree?

Please don't get me wrong, we all have to be careful about ID fraud, but don't get paranoid. I speak as someone who experienced credit card fraud earlier this year, so I know what it is like. Whilst it is possible, just as anything is possible, it is unlikely that details will be lifted from this site for this purpose. ID fraud requires more than just a name. The phone book is a better source of this information as this has an address as well. Do make sure that you never throw away Bank Statements or Utility Bills as these are vital to the fraudster. And think carefully before you issue cheques. In the wrong hands they are like manna from heaven.

Bee, On the question of Data Protection (that is if it ever applies, and that is actually a moot point with a site like this) GR have no responsibility. All responsibility lies with the person posting the details, and any action would have to be brought against the poster by the named person.

Just got this reply from GR:- ' ' Thanks for your email and bring this to our attention I understand your concern and can confirm that member are not allowed to enter another living relatives name on the site withour there permission first westate thisin our terms and conditions on the site. I have forwarded your email to our development team to review for future enhancements on the site. Best regards, Abuse Administrator The Genes Support Team ' ' Hmmm... still sounds a bit like a 'brush off' to me!! Bee.