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Archiver > CTMIDDLE > 2000-09 > 0968072125


From: (Linda Emerson)
Subject: [CTMID] Possible Genealogy Scam
Date: Mon, 04 Sep 2000 05:55:25 -0700


This was posted to another list and thought that it was important enough

to post here.

Betsy Quinn

Subj: possible genealogy scam
Date: 09/03/2000 6:30:57 AM Mountain Daylight Time
From: (Phyllis Fleming)
Reply-to:
To:

Shelbers,

I received this message after it was forwarded to the INGENWEB state
coordinator:

>>About 2 weeeks ago we received a complaint from an Archives submitter
that her materials were found on a genealogy subscription service:

www.familydiscovery.com

The submitter was able to do a little digging and found that they were
linking to her files housed on her server, but shrink-wrapped inside a
frame so it appears to be THEIR work. About 10 days ago, to investigate
this, I signed up with familydiscovery. To date, I have not received a
user id or password to get inside. The registered owners of the web site

gave bogus telephone numbers in their registration. One number goes to a

recorded message line; the other to a carpet company. Some of the e-mail

addys on their web site bounce.

Standing on the outside and looking through the window, it appears that
several folks' web sites have been prize-mined:

http://www.familydiscovery.com/whatsnew.htm

The Storey Co., IA and the Washington Co., PA stuff seem to come from
USGenWeb sites. Some of the other IA and NC stuff seems to come from
non-USGW sites. None of the materials seem to be housed at either
rootsweb or usgennet.

I would suggest we all add the Java applet to bust out of the
shrink-wrapping:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
<!-- Hide script from old browsers
if (top.location !=self.location) {
top.location = self.location
}
// End hiding script from old browsers -->
</SCRIPT>

This needs to be inserted between and <TITLE> on every web page.

If you have text files on your web site, you will need to add a little
shrink wrapping of your own:

Create a blank web page -- use the tags ---
and paste your text file in between the and the -- and be
sure to add the Java applet.

If anyone out there is or has been a member of familydiscovery -- or has

been ripped off by them, I ["Joy Fisher" <>] would like
to hear from you.

Permission is granted to forward this message.


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