Genealogy Scam a Grim Reminder for Internet EnthusiastsI'm forwarding the following e-mail from Everton Publishers, Inc. regarding recent genealogy scams. If this e-mail does not come through on the list properly I'll gladly forward it to any of you personally who may not have received it. I think it's very important everyone read it. Thanks, Claudia Schuman-Coordinator ----- Original Message ----- From: Family History Network Specials Alert To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 6:43 PM Subject: Genealogy Scam a Grim Reminder for Internet Enthusiasts Genealogy Scam a Grim Reminder for Internet Enthusiasts WE'LL HELP YOU LOOK FOR LIVE PEOPLE TOO! Are you hoping to contact somebody you haven't seen for a long time? Have you lost touch with an old friend? Missing a family member who hasn't written in far too long? Our Missing People Finder can help! Send us the story of your search in 100 words or less and it could be published in Family History Magazine for free! Write right now to Donna M. Brown, Senior Managing Editor at [email protected] Daily Special Easy Start Genealogy Kit Regular: $30.95 Sale: $19.95 more info By Lorraine I. Quillon Managing Editor, Family History Magazine Generally, we tend to be naively trusting until something happens to destroy that trust. Recent happenings in the world of genealogy have made us all considerably more cautious. Many enthusiastic researchers signed up for a conference that looked entirely legitimate. However, as the scheduled time approached, the conference was cancelled and would-be participants were having some difficulty retrieving their registration fees. Now, we're seeing another form of genealogy theft as researchers become increasingly keen on using the Internet. On Aug. 1, Elias Abodeely II, 22, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was arrested for allegedly perpetrating a whole series of scams aimed at genealogy buffs. He operated mostly under the heading of GenSeekers. But if you recognize genealogydevelopments.com, familydiscovery.com, genealogyfinders.net, genlocator.com, or genealogy-express.com, you may have been introduced to some of his other creations. His modus operandi is to establish a Web site and solicit subscriptions with the promise of a money-back guarantee. However, when people go the site, they discover that he has given them nothing more than links that are available at numerous free Internet sources. Messages requesting refunds are returned as undeliverable. Then the Web site itself quickly and quietly disappears from sight. According to the Aug. 2 The Gazette, an Iowa newspaper, investigators claim, "Abodeely masterminded a three-year genealogy scam that netted at least $14,000 and between 220 and 260 victims - a handful of them from overseas." Abodeely was arrested on suspicion of identity theft and three felonies - first-degree theft, money laundering and ongoing criminal conduct. The crimes are punishable by up to 47 years in prison, according to Gazette reporter Christoph Trappe. This is an unfortunate situation because it necessarily makes genealogists wary of all such enterprises, even the legitimate ones. So just an ancient word of warning-caveat emptor! Robbery comes in many different forms. Do everything in your power to prevent loss of both resources and confidence. Check out a potential service as much as possible before investing significant sums of money. Consult more experienced researchers for advice about reliable services. Copyright 2003 Everton Family History Network. All Rights Reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Everton Publishers, Inc. P.O. Box 368, Logan, UT 84323-0368 Toll-free: 1-800-4GENEALOGY (1-800-443-6325) www.everton.com To unsubscribe from this mailing: Click Here