----- Original Message ----- From: "Jana P Thomas" <jpthomas7@juno.com> To: <VA-Harrison-Monongalia-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 9:15 PM Subject: Re: [VA-Har-Mon] Research -Idenity theft > I'm sorry, I'm just going to have to stick my "two cents" worth in > here... > I've been watching with great amazement of just how uninformed the > "general public is" > and I do not understand just why that is, when there are television > programs, Internet warnings etc.. > on identity theft and just HOW easy it IS to steal another's identity. > > I'm a licensed private investigator and have been for well over ten > years, and I have had clients with the problem. > I've said it many times before and now I'll say it again, no living > persons names in gedcom's (at the very least) posted on the Net. There's > no reason for it. I have to agree with the person who posted that we are > researching our roots, our ancestor's, no reason to put a living person's > name, in that manner, why make it easier??????? > > First off, yes, I know that in most states, WV included anyone can look > at anyone's birth records....ANYONE'S.......but in WV just anyone cannot > get a CERTIFIED copy of a birth record so many years old.... > Yes, anyone CAN look at marriage and death records too, and in some > counties in WV the SS number is included on the marriage record, but they > now might all be redacted by now, they weren't 2 years ago. > Again, WHY make it easier by posting living person's information, even > their name, their spouses names, their children's names ALL make it > EASIER to get information in order to differentiate one person from the > next person with the same name, so again, why make it easier for the > potential perpetrator. I've seen so many people say, "I didn't think it > could happen to me"...you'd be surprised at just how intelligent many > criminals are and the easier you make it for them, the more fuel is added > to the fire. > The Net is a wonderful invention and there will always be someone > "lurking" around, thinking up a way to make life easier for themselves, > let us not help them even if it is in the most minute way. > > You can point to other means of stealing a person's identity but what we > are talking about here is genealogy and not making life easier for > person's wishing to conduct criminal activity, even if is is "just the > names of living person's and not their dob's" because that's all you need > till you pinpoint the person with a dob a place of birth, their parents, > mother's maiden name, father's parents, mother's parents and all places > of birth ...on and on and on....even IF one person is a victim of this > crime and the perpetrator found this person's name in a gedcom, that is > one person too many. We all know that there is a lot of people in our > families that do have our personal information but again I'd like to > point out that we are talking about genealogy, let's not compare oranges > to oranges. > > One more word of warning.....when you get those credit card invitations > in the mail telling you that you > are already approved, shred them or burn them, just don't throw them > "willy nilly" into your trash, that goes for all billing info that you > might want to discard...... > Jana > >