Very true,Duncan.Most folk seem to forget the whole system was set up at the taxpayerrs expense and still are.The taxpayers pay the staff wages and eveything else.We all still pay to register family information.It's high time the whole shebang was free to everyone.I don't mind paying for certs copies.Regards Brian. Duncan Smith <d.smith.1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: Robin wrote .... "However there is great concern about personation, identity theft and money laundering ... So the decision in Scotland that online BMD's indexes are restricted is apparently to make it less easy for those with criminal intent to get this information on living people .... Personal visitors to the search rooms in Edinburgh will all be identified so they can access all the indeces. Curiously the English and Welsh BMD indexes are available online almost up to the present." The fact that the English & Welsh indexes are available online right up to 2003 shows that it can be done. Any professional crook who wants to 'steal' other people's identity (although someone born 90 years ago seems to me, to be rather an unlikely sort of target) is bound to be adept at producing false identification, and will be just the sort of person who will make the effort to go to Edinburgh to use the system at New Register House. It is we poor researchers who can't all get to Edinburgh every day, who thus suffer from these online restrictions, while any would be crooks can happily exploit the anomalies in the system to their own advantage. I don't believe that restricting access to the more recent online records, inhibits the professional fraudsters in any way, but it does spoil things for genuine researchers. Duncan, Dundee Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
It's a shame that all the records aren't available on line. Years ago, I had a company in England, Research St Leonards UK, look up birth records at the Lewes registrar's office for my mystery G-grandfather, Thomas H. Brown, and paid by Visa. This month, I was astonished to find a ninety pound charge on my Visa bill from them! An advanced Google search for the string showed the Sussex police have a growing file on the scam. The firm had been sold, and sold again, and at some time over the years crooks got hold of old records and are now putting charges on the credit cards of people who had ever had them do research. Crooks can get hold of the records of any legitimate company with whom we do business, so our only defense is to check our bills each month for unauthorized charges. If all the records were available on line, this could not have happened. And I would be able to trace my Stephenson family in Edinburgh so easily! Does anyone in Scotland descend from them? Sonia in the U.S. -----Original Message----- From: brian ware [mailto:lorconbew@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:04 AM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MLN] Re - Birth records Very true,Duncan.Most folk seem to forget the whole system was set up at the taxpayerrs expense and still are.The taxpayers pay the staff wages and eveything else.We all still pay to register family information.It's high time the whole shebang was free to everyone.I don't mind paying for certs copies.Regards Brian. Duncan Smith <d.smith.1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: Robin wrote .... "However there is great concern about personation, identity theft and money laundering ... So the decision in Scotland that online BMD's indexes are restricted is apparently to make it less easy for those with criminal intent to get this information on living people .... Personal visitors to the search rooms in Edinburgh will all be identified so they can access all the indeces. Curiously the English and Welsh BMD indexes are available online almost up to the present." The fact that the English & Welsh indexes are available online right up to 2003 shows that it can be done. Any professional crook who wants to 'steal' other people's identity (although someone born 90 years ago seems to me, to be rather an unlikely sort of target) is bound to be adept at producing false identification, and will be just the sort of person who will make the effort to go to Edinburgh to use the system at New Register House. It is we poor researchers who can't all get to Edinburgh every day, who thus suffer from these online restrictions, while any would be crooks can happily exploit the anomalies in the system to their own advantage. I don't believe that restricting access to the more recent online records, inhibits the professional fraudsters in any way, but it does spoil things for genuine researchers. Duncan, Dundee Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
I just sent an e-mail a few days ago to researchinuk to ask why there was a ?90 charge on my account. No reply, no surprise. It seems this is part of a wider scam. Tell everyone. What a shame, as this was a good service. Elizabeth Dods <elizd77@rogers.com> -----Original Message----- From: Gil & Sonia Murray [mailto:happyman70@bellsouth.net] Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 9:33 AM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [MLN] Re - Birth records and "Research St Leonards UK" check credit card bills for unauthorized charges - STEPHENSON It's a shame that all the records aren't available on line. Years ago, I had a company in England, Research St Leonards UK, look up birth records at the Lewes registrar's office for my mystery G-grandfather, Thomas H. Brown, and paid by Visa. This month, I was astonished to find a ninety pound charge on my Visa bill from them! An advanced Google search for the string showed the Sussex police have a growing file on the scam. The firm had been sold, and sold again, and at some time over the years crooks got hold of old records and are now putting charges on the credit cards of people who had ever had them do research. Crooks can get hold of the records of any legitimate company with whom we do business, so our only defense is to check our bills each month for unauthorized charges. If all the records were available on line, this could not have happened. And I would be able to trace my Stephenson family in Edinburgh so easily! Does anyone in Scotland descend from them? Sonia in the U.S. -----Original Message----- From: brian ware [mailto:lorconbew@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:04 AM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MLN] Re - Birth records Very true,Duncan.Most folk seem to forget the whole system was set up at the taxpayerrs expense and still are.The taxpayers pay the staff wages and eveything else.We all still pay to register family information.It's high time the whole shebang was free to everyone.I don't mind paying for certs copies.Regards Brian. Duncan Smith <d.smith.1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: Robin wrote .... "However there is great concern about personation, identity theft and money laundering ... So the decision in Scotland that online BMD's indexes are restricted is apparently to make it less easy for those with criminal intent to get this information on living people .... Personal visitors to the search rooms in Edinburgh will all be identified so they can access all the indeces. Curiously the English and Welsh BMD indexes are available online almost up to the present." The fact that the English & Welsh indexes are available online right up to 2003 shows that it can be done. Any professional crook who wants to 'steal' other people's identity (although someone born 90 years ago seems to me, to be rather an unlikely sort of target) is bound to be adept at producing false identification, and will be just the sort of person who will make the effort to go to Edinburgh to use the system at New Register House. It is we poor researchers who can't all get to Edinburgh every day, who thus suffer from these online restrictions, while any would be crooks can happily exploit the anomalies in the system to their own advantage. I don't believe that restricting access to the more recent online records, inhibits the professional fraudsters in any way, but it does spoil things for genuine researchers. Duncan, Dundee Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
Contact and tell your credit card company immediately - they will cancel your card and issue it with a new number. Yes, what a shame, the company was legitimate and did good work, but I understand it was sold at least twice and a crook got hold of their records. Do an advanced Google search for the string "Research St Leonards UK" and you will get the e-mail address of the Sussex police - report it to them - they have a growing file. All the best, Sonia Murray -----Original Message----- From: Elizabeth Dods [mailto:elizd77@rogers.com] Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 9:49 AM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [MLN] Re - Birth records and "Research St Leonards UK" check credit card bills for unauthorized charges - STEPHENSON I just sent an e-mail a few days ago to researchinuk to ask why there was a ?90 charge on my account. No reply, no surprise. It seems this is part of a wider scam. Tell everyone. What a shame, as this was a good service. Elizabeth Dods <elizd77@rogers.com> -----Original Message----- From: Gil & Sonia Murray [mailto:happyman70@bellsouth.net] Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 9:33 AM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [MLN] Re - Birth records and "Research St Leonards UK" check credit card bills for unauthorized charges - STEPHENSON It's a shame that all the records aren't available on line. Years ago, I had a company in England, Research St Leonards UK, look up birth records at the Lewes registrar's office for my mystery G-grandfather, Thomas H. Brown, and paid by Visa. This month, I was astonished to find a ninety pound charge on my Visa bill from them! An advanced Google search for the string showed the Sussex police have a growing file on the scam. The firm had been sold, and sold again, and at some time over the years crooks got hold of old records and are now putting charges on the credit cards of people who had ever had them do research. Crooks can get hold of the records of any legitimate company with whom we do business, so our only defense is to check our bills each month for unauthorized charges. If all the records were available on line, this could not have happened. And I would be able to trace my Stephenson family in Edinburgh so easily! Does anyone in Scotland descend from them? Sonia in the U.S. -----Original Message----- From: brian ware [mailto:lorconbew@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:04 AM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MLN] Re - Birth records Very true,Duncan.Most folk seem to forget the whole system was set up at the taxpayerrs expense and still are.The taxpayers pay the staff wages and eveything else.We all still pay to register family information.It's high time the whole shebang was free to everyone.I don't mind paying for certs copies.Regards Brian. Duncan Smith <d.smith.1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: Robin wrote .... "However there is great concern about personation, identity theft and money laundering ... So the decision in Scotland that online BMD's indexes are restricted is apparently to make it less easy for those with criminal intent to get this information on living people .... Personal visitors to the search rooms in Edinburgh will all be identified so they can access all the indeces. Curiously the English and Welsh BMD indexes are available online almost up to the present." The fact that the English & Welsh indexes are available online right up to 2003 shows that it can be done. Any professional crook who wants to 'steal' other people's identity (although someone born 90 years ago seems to me, to be rather an unlikely sort of target) is bound to be adept at producing false identification, and will be just the sort of person who will make the effort to go to Edinburgh to use the system at New Register House. It is we poor researchers who can't all get to Edinburgh every day, who thus suffer from these online restrictions, while any would be crooks can happily exploit the anomalies in the system to their own advantage. I don't believe that restricting access to the more recent online records, inhibits the professional fraudsters in any way, but it does spoil things for genuine researchers. Duncan, Dundee Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
Sonia: NEVER use a credit card on internet you are asking for trouble and you got it. Send them a check, so its takes a few days more, but you are safe from credit card scrams. Gordon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gil & Sonia Murray" <happyman70@bellsouth.net> To: <MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 10:33 AM Subject: RE: [MLN] Re - Birth records and "Research St Leonards UK" check credit card bills for unauthorized charges - STEPHENSON > It's a shame that all the records aren't available on line. Years ago, I > had a company in England, Research St Leonards UK, look up birth records > at > the Lewes registrar's office for my mystery G-grandfather, Thomas H. > Brown, > and paid by Visa. This month, I was astonished to find a ninety pound > charge on my Visa bill from them! An advanced Google search for the > string > showed the Sussex police have a growing file on the scam. The firm had > been > sold, and sold again, and at some time over the years crooks got hold of > old > records and are now putting charges on the credit cards of people who had > ever had them do research. Crooks can get hold of the records of any > legitimate company with whom we do business, so our only defense is to > check > our bills each month for unauthorized charges. If all the records were > available on line, this could not have happened. And I would be able to > trace my Stephenson family in Edinburgh so easily! Does anyone in > Scotland > descend from them? > > Sonia in the U.S. > > -----Original Message----- > From: brian ware [mailto:lorconbew@yahoo.co.uk] > Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:04 AM > To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [MLN] Re - Birth records > > Very true,Duncan.Most folk seem to forget the whole system was set up at > the > taxpayerrs expense and still are.The taxpayers pay the staff wages and > eveything else.We all still pay to register family information.It's high > time the whole shebang was free to everyone.I don't mind paying for certs > copies.Regards Brian. > > > Duncan Smith <d.smith.1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: > Robin wrote .... "However there is great concern about personation, > identity > theft and money laundering ... > So the decision in Scotland that online BMD's indexes are restricted is > apparently to make it less easy for those with criminal intent to get this > information on living people .... > Personal visitors to the search rooms in Edinburgh will all be identified > so > they can access all the indeces. > Curiously the English and Welsh BMD indexes are available online almost up > to the present." > > The fact that the English & Welsh indexes are available online right up to > 2003 shows that it can be done. Any professional crook who wants to > 'steal' > other people's identity (although someone born 90 years ago seems to me, > to > be rather an unlikely sort of target) is bound to be adept at producing > false identification, and will be just the sort of person who will make > the > effort to go to Edinburgh to use the system at New Register House. > > It is we poor researchers who can't all get to Edinburgh every day, who > thus > suffer from these online restrictions, while any would be crooks can > happily > exploit the anomalies in the system to their own advantage. > > I don't believe that restricting access to the more recent online records, > inhibits the professional fraudsters in any way, but it does spoil things > for genuine researchers. > > Duncan, Dundee > > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > > > >