Thought this was interesting.......Teresa ----- Original Message ----- From: <KevinOBrien8527@aol.com> To: <MIEATON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2001 10:10 PM Subject: E-Mail Address Collection Scam Remedy Dear Fellow Researchers: By now many of you have heard of the scam going around by which many of us have willingly joined a "research list," only to find out it was a scam. For those who have not seen it yet, the most recent posting invites researchers to join a "new county list" to which they will be "ADDING ONE BILLION NAMES SOON." All it does is take your e-mail information, place a cookie and a directory key onto your computer's hard drive and then when you try to access the site it claims to be "overloaded" and currently undergoing service. The software placed on your hard drive allow the viewers to track your Internet usage. They create a profile and sell the information to companies who believe the information is being collected ethically. Your reward of course is to get your E-mail box loaded up with "SPAM" AND IF YOU BY CHANCE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL PROFILE ATTACHED TO YOUR E-MAIL AND WEB SURFING PROPERTIES, THEY CAN EVEN TAKE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION WHICH THEY SELL TO DIRECT MAILER AND TELEPHONE SOLICITOR COMPANIES. This is the truest order of "CAVEAT EMPTOR" (Let the customer beware). If you have been had already, I received this link from PATRICIA HAMP the GRATIOT COUNTY, MICHIGAN, ROOTSWEB coordinator. I downloaded software from this site: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/downloads.html and activated it. I was stunned to see 61 "spy" type software entries in my computer that I never knew existed. I also located the one that was secretly placed by the "one billion names" scam. By the way, I was had on the Kings County, Washington and Jefferson County, New York lists. Please take this information in the spirit it was intended and protect yourselves. These scumbags are taking advantage of us because we are desperately seeking information on our ancestors and occasionally we reach the point of desperation. I'm glad Pat Hamp shared the information with me. I hope all of you are. Please do not forward this to other lists. Let the individual list coordinators make those decisions. Best wishes for continued success in your research! Sincerely, Kevin O'Brien Laguna Hills, CA Researching: Perkins, Warner Shannon, Lowe Gillie, des Riviere, Sundell, Dorchester Adams, Pinkerton Leddy or Liddy Van Schaick [Chancy Smith & Fam. Jefferson County, NY] Saginaw County, MI Genesee County, MI Gratiot County, MI Midland County, MI Ottawa, Canada Grenville, Quebec CN ============================== Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com