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Archiver > APG > 2006-08 > 1155958177


From: Erin Bradford <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Genealogy.com Scam?
Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 23:29:37 -0400
References: <001b01c6c2de$3e848bc0$6601a8c0@maggie>
In-Reply-To: <001b01c6c2de$3e848bc0$6601a8c0@maggie>


Now this sounds like those books from Halberts! I bought one on my
Bradford family about 10-15 years ago before I knew anything about them

Erin

Christine Sweet-Hart wrote:

>Hi Elissa:
>
>My reason for suspecting that it was a scam was that I did not expect an
>organization as large and well-known as Genealogy.com to email something
>like this. Judging from the content, it seems as though their email was
>hacked and this was sent out to their clients.
>
>I have pasted the text of the email below. I would be interested in knowing
>others thoughts on this. This email does not solicit any information from
>the recipient. In my opinion, this is little better than the mall kiosks
>that sell family crests and name origins on fancy parchment.
>
>Christine
>
>***************
>
> Did you know that the history of your family name could fill a book?
>And we can publish it today?
>
>Sifting through our billions of records and other trusted sources, we
>carefully gathered all the facts, figures, names, and places we could find,
>tracing the origin of your family name as far back as we could go.
>
>Painstakingly compiled from billions of family history records.
>
>Here are just a few of the many facts you may discover:
>
>What does your family name actually mean? It could stem from an occupation,
>the father's name, town name, or even a nickname.
>Where did your family name originate? In many cases, a family name can be
>traced all the way back to the original country.
>When did people with your last name come to the United States? You can learn
>when they most likely immigrated and even the ships they sailed to get here.
>What occupations did your family pursue? Maybe i t's built into the genetic
>code. Some families have plenty of doctors. In others, it's all about
>farming. If you think it's all random and personal choice, wait until you
>check out that section in your book
>This book is a unique volume focused on your family name - and no other.
>It's not available at bookstores - only through this special offer.
>
>Don't wait. Order your customized copy today.
>
>It is not available elsewhere - and it's just $49.95!
>
>
>Christine L. Sweet-Hart, CG(sm)
>www.pastmassters.com
>Dedicated to the rediscovery of and reconnection to Massachusetts history
>through research, documentation, and preservation.
>Email:
>Blog: www.pastmassters.blogspot.com BLOG CARNIVAL EVERY FRIDAY! GET
>CONNECTED!
>
>Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of
>Genealogists, used under license by board-certified associates after
>periodic competency evaluations
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [mailto:] On Behalf
>Of Elissa Scalise Powell, CG
>Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 10:56 AM
>To:
>Subject: Re: [APG] Genealogy.com Scam?
>
>MyFamily.com does have a program where you can supply up to four generations
>of pedigree information and they will find records about your ancestors in
>their own databases using the attach feature of the trees. They print this
>in a book and now I understand they can also incorporate your pictures. It
>has a money-back guarantee. I don't know the cost of the book nor have I
>heard any ads. I do know some of the researchers who have worked on this
>project.
>
>Not a scam but nothing replaces good old fashioned, reasoned research in
>many different sources including those both on-line and off. Without
>examining many different records wrong assumptions can be made or
>conflicting data never found. Perhaps those who buy this book are "buying a
>vowel" as a clue in their research. But the most likely scenario is that
>they are believing the book hook, line, and sinker.
>
>Back in the days when Halberts was the predominant scam before the Internet,
>I ordered their book knowing full well what it was: a listing of names and
>addresses only. For my mother's rare surname I wrote to all 50 of the names
>and found the lost branch of the family. If I had expected it to be a family
>history as Halberts advertised, I would have been sorely disappointed.
>Knowing how to use each and every research tool as a means for further
>knowledge of the family is important.
>
>My .02,
>Elissa
>
>Elissa Scalise Powell, CG
>www.PowellGenealogy.com
>CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for
>Certification of Genealogists used under license after periodic evaluations
>by the Board. http://www.BCGcertification.org/
>
>
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: [mailto:] On Behalf
>>Of
>>Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 10:01 AM
>>To:
>>Subject: Re: [APG] Genealogy.com Scam?
>>
>>I've never received it...or deleted it without reading, but I know of that
>>or at least I think it's the same thing, but ancestry.com or their parent
>>company (which is also genealogy.com's parent) myfamily.com is doing
>>something like that. Basically you contact them, let them know back as
>>far as you can who you are descended from, they do the research (not sure
>>if they just use their own databases or what) and put it in a book. It
>>could have been legitimate ad from them, but maybe someone else on the
>>list is more familiar with that than I am. Supposedly there are ads on
>>the radio in some places for that as well, but I say supposedly since I'm
>>deaf and never heard one myself :)
>>
>>Erin
>>
>>
>>
>>>Did anyone else receive an email from Genealogy.com that said they could
>>>publish your family history today for $49.95? "Painstakingly compiled
>>>
>>>
>>from
>>
>>
>>>billions of family history records," of course. This seems to me to be
>>>
>>>
>>a
>>
>>
>>>revision of a previous scam that was going around awhile ago.
>>>
>>>
>>>Christine L. Sweet-Hart, CG(sm)
>>>www.pastmassters.com <http://www.pastmassters.com/>;
>>>Dedicated to the rediscovery of and reconnection to Massachusetts history
>>>through research, documentation, and preservation.
>>>Email:
>>>Blog: www.pastmassters.blogspot.com
>>>
>>>
>><http://www.pastmassters.blogspot.com/>;
>>
>>
>>>Certified Genealogist is a service mark of the Board for Certification of
>>>Genealogists, used under license by board-certified associates after
>>>periodic competency evaluations
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>>>
>>>
>>body of
>>
>>
>>>the message
>>>
>>>
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>>
>
>
>
>
>
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