All, FYI. Liz ------ Original Message ------ Received: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:23:58 PM EDT From: "eacroom" <eacroom@att.net> To: "Emily Croom" <eacroom@att.net> Subject: FW: Potentially fraudulent sites posing as genealogy websites Since this is coming from the ProDesk at Ancestry.com, I assume it's a real concern. So I thought we all should be aware of it. Some of you may have received this from Ancestry.com as well. (Somebody might post it on the Unpuzzling group...Thanks!) Emily -----Original Message----- From: Suzanne Russo Adams [mailto:sadams@tgn.com] Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:19 PM Subject: Potentially fraudulent sites posing as genealogy websites http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2008/04/10/potentially-fraudulent-sites-p osing-as-genealogy-websites/ We have recently become aware of three websites purporting to allow family history research: SearchYourGenealogy.com, Ancestry-search.com and Australian-Ancestry.com. The sites claim to have "the largest online genealogical search tool" and promote themselves as the foremost resources for genealogy, but from what we can tell, these sites are nothing more than a series of web pages with links to other services. These sites, in our opinion, are clearly fraudulent. On each site, potential customers are lured to purchase under what we feel to be false, misleading and deceitful promotional material, and get little or no value out of money spent at the websites. Blog and message board posts from the community confirm this opinion. The people/companies behind the websites are buying very high level paid search results on Google and other sites. In addition, they are using trademarks of well-known websites, including Ancestry.com and Genealogy.com, to get higher-than-normal natural search results. It appears the site colors, fonts, and pictures on at least one site are designed to mislead people in to believing the site is related to Ancestry.com. As the leading online family history company, The Generations Network, Inc. and its website properties including Ancestry.com and its global network of Ancestry sites, Genealogy.com, and Rootsweb, we want to encourage consumers to validate and verify the legitimacy of a website before providing credit card information or paying for services. TGN will take appropriate administrative and legal action to do its part to protect the community from these sites. Suzanne Russo Adams, AGR Professional Services Desk Manager The Generations Network E sadams@tgn.com P 801 705 7996 F 801 705 7001 A 360 W 4800 N Provo, UT 84604 Ancestry.com | Genealogy.com | Myfamily.com | Rootsweb.com | Family Tree Maker

Thanks for the warning, Liz. This same notice just appeared on Dick Eastman's newsletter. I've seen a number of web sites that haven't tried to falsify their image but have been obvious attempts to get folks to join in return for little or no information. Caroline ----- Original Message ----- From: "liz hicks" <erootrot@usa.net> To: <ALBibb@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:21 PM Subject: [ALBIBB] FW: Potentially fraudulent sites posing as genealogywebsites > All, > FYI. Liz > From: "eacroom" <eacroom@att.net> > To: "Emily Croom" <eacroom@att.net> > Subject: FW: Potentially fraudulent sites posing as genealogy websites > > Since this is coming from the ProDesk at Ancestry.com, I assume it's a > real > concern. So I thought we all should be aware of it. Some of you may have > received this from Ancestry.com as well. > > (Somebody might post it on the Unpuzzling group...Thanks!) > > Emily \ > From: Suzanne Russo Adams [mailto:sadams@tgn.com] > Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:19 PM > Subject: Potentially fraudulent sites posing as genealogy websites > http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2008/04/10/potentially-fraudulent-sites-p > osing-as-genealogy-websites/ > > > We have recently become aware of three websites purporting to allow family > history research: SearchYourGenealogy.com, Ancestry-search.com and > Australian-Ancestry.com. The sites claim to have "the largest online > genealogical search tool" and promote themselves as the foremost resources > for genealogy, but from what we can tell, these sites are nothing more > than a series of web pages with links to other services. These sites, in > our opinion, are clearly fraudulent. > On each site, potential customers are lured to purchase under what we feel > to be false, misleading and deceitful promotional material, and get little > or no value out of money spent at the websites. Blog and message board > posts from the community confirm this opinion. > The people/companies behind the websites are buying very high level paid > search results on Google and other sites. In addition, they are using > trademarks of well-known websites, including Ancestry.com and > Genealogy.com, to get higher-than-normal natural search results. It > appears the site colors, fonts, and pictures on at least one site are > designed to mislead > people in to believing the site is related to Ancestry.com. > As the leading online family history company, The Generations Network, > Inc. > and its website properties including Ancestry.com and its global network > of > Ancestry sites, Genealogy.com, and Rootsweb, we want to encourage > consumers to validate and verify the legitimacy of a website before > providing credit card information or paying for services. TGN will take > appropriate > administrative and legal action to do its part to protect the community > from > these sites. > > > Suzanne Russo Adams, AGR > Professional Services Desk Manager > > The Generations Network > > sadams@tgn.com > Ancestry.com | Genealogy.com | Myfamily.com | Rootsweb.com | > Family Tree Maker

I have experienced a couple of these sites and I'm very glad that the generations network is on top of it. Thanks Liz for posting this here. I have always trusted content from TGN and am a bit wary of most others. There are legitimate sites out there offering information and we shouldn't dismiss all of them out of hand just because they aren't a part of TGN, but just be careful who you give your own information to. Ali IngleUnited we stand, divided we fall. God Bless America!! > Subject: [ALBIBB] FW: Potentially fraudulent sites posing as genealogy websites> > All,> FYI. Liz> > ------ Original Message ------> Received: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:23:58 PM EDT > From: Suzanne Russo Adams [mailto:sadams@tgn.com]> Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:19 PM> Subject: Potentially fraudulent sites posing as genealogy websites > http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2008/04/10/potentially-fraudulent-sites-p> osing-as-genealogy-websites/> > > We have recently become aware of three websites purporting to allow family> history research: SearchYourGenealogy.com, Ancestry-search.com and> Australian-Ancestry.com............. ..............TGN will take appropriate> administrative and legal action to do its part to protect the community from> these sites.> > > Suzanne Russo Adams, AGR> Professional Services Desk Manager> > The Generations Network> > > > > E> sadams@tgn.com> > P> 801 705 7996> > F> 801 705 7001> > A> 360 W 4800 N Provo, UT 84604> > > > > Ancestry.com | Genealogy.com | Myfamily.com | Rootsweb.com |> Family Tree Maker> > > > > > > > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ALBIBB-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live Messenger. http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_video_042008