Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Internet Explorer Flaw Now Rated as "Extremely Critical"

Here is another reason to never use Internet Explorer. The security-riddled web browser has now earned a very rare "Extremely Critical" advisory notice. Microsoft was notified of the problem in March 2005 but has done nothing to modify the program or fix the flaw. In the meantime, rip-off artists can steal information from your computer if you are using Internet Explorer.

Beware of "Your Family's Coat of Arms" Scams!

As the Christmas shopping season is upon us, perhaps it is time to remind people that there is no such thing as a "family" coat of arms. You will see ads on the web and in magazines as well as pushcart merchants in the malls selling this stuff. Yes, they will be happy to sell you an "authentic" reproduction of the Smith or other surname coat of arms, suitable for framing. They will also sell golf shirts embroidered with the same coat of arms or coffee cups with the same.

(Insert the sound of a loud, obnoxious buzzer here.)

Colorado State Attorney's Office files suit against Morphcorp

I have written about MorphCorp, Inc. and OurFamilyNewsletter.net a number of times. The company has been selling "family yearbooks" for years. They send advertisements for the "International [Surname] Family Yearbook" or similar titles. In this case, substitute your last name in place of "[Surname]." For instance, an advertisement sent to a person named Smith would peddle "The Smith Family Yearbook" while someone named Clark would receive an advertisement for "The Clark Family Yearbook."

You can read my most recent article at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2004/07/international_s.html

About a year ago the company added an online web site to their bag of tricks. You can see the site at http://www.ourfamilynewsletter.net.

Now Colorado State Attorney General John Suthers has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Morphcorp, as well as the company's president and general manager, Maxwell MacMaster, for alleged deceptive advertising and sales of "Family Yearbooks."

Fake E-mail from FBI or CIA is really a Worm

Both the FBI and Internet security companies have announced this week that there is a fake e-mail that looks like it is from the FBI and a similar fake e-mail appearing to be from the CIA going around which are really being sent by the Sober worm. (A worm is loosely similar to a virus: it infects your PC and does nasty things.) The e-mails include an attachment, which is, of course, the worm. If you open the attached file, your PC is immediately infected.

If you get an e-mail that claims to be from the FBI or the CIA, don't open it!

Uproar over Fake Family Trees Continues

As I first reported on this newsletter's web site on November 2, a new piece of software is now in use that creates thousands of web pages of bogus genealogy information. Now other news organizations are discovering this new problem, and the uproar is getting louder.

Generating Fake Family Trees Automatically

A new scam is on the Internet: a piece of software that will create bogus family trees to be uploaded to your web site. Why would anyone want to do that? The complete answer is a bit convoluted, but the short answer is to boost your web site higher in the search engine ratings so that gullible people will see the ads on your site. In fact, the program's advertising boasts that you can "create unique, non-duplicate content that millions of people search for, AND that neither humans nor search engines can tell is 'real' or not."

International (Surname) Family Yearbook from MORPHCORP

NOTE: This is an updated version of a story I first wrote in 2003. The company described apparently is still very active, according to recent reports. It seems appropriate to republish this information now.

A company in Colorado has been selling "family yearbooks" for years. They send advertisements for the "International [Surname] Family Yearbook" or similar titles. In this case, substitute your last name in place of "[Surname]." For instance, an advertisement sent to a person named Smith would be advertising "The Smith Family Yearbook" while someone named Clark would receive an advertisement for "The Clark Family Yearbook."

Identity Theft Hits Home at the FTC

Genealogists across the U.S. are encountering new problems in accessing public domain records. Various agencies are refusing to allow access to records, claiming problems with "identity theft." Now the problem will probably become worse.

Credit card theft and identity theft are trade-related crimes so the Federal agency most involved is the Federal Trade Commission. In fact, any detected attempts at identity theft should be reported to the FTC immediately. One recent victim of credit card information theft had no trouble finding the appropriate FTC office to report the crime. The victim is the head of the FTC.

Anyone Can Take Money From Your Checking Account

NOTE: This article is not genealogy-related. However, it describes a situation that I face frequently, as do many others who operate e-commerce web sites.

I often hear the cyber-myth that "it is dangerous to use your credit card on the web." In fact, the reverse is much more accurate: the web is probably the safest place in which to use a credit card. (For details, see my earlier article on this topic at http://www.eogn.com/archives/news0245.htm#SafetyofOnlineCredit.) Now we hear that use of a credit card on the web is much, much safer than sending a check in the mail. One of the better-known anti-scam web sites has shown how easy it is for anyone to steal money out of your checking account.

Another Scam with a Genealogy Twist

The Nigerian scams have been around for years. These are the e-mail messages you may receive from Nigeria or some other third-world country, claiming that someone seeks your assistance in moving a large amount of money out of the country. The claim is that you will be given a large percentage of the money, typically several million dollars, for helping move the money. There are several variations of this theme, one of which includes a genealogy twist.

That E-mail about Deceased Relatives in Nigeria

I have heard many stories about receiving unexpected e-mails. The usual story sounds something like this: A previously unknown member of your family has been killed in a car crash overseas. You are the only person left who could be related to the deceased, and you might be the sole inheritor of millions of dollars left in a bank account or a safety deposit box.

Another Genealogy-related Scam

Writing in the Spectrum, an online newspaper in St. George, Utah, Jennifer Weaver describes a number of the ways in which present-day scam artists operate. Several of the scams have been mentioned in this newsletter in times past, but one was new to me. Even worse, it involves the use of the FamilySearch.org online genealogy database operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Convicted Spammer Gets Nine Years in Jail

Finally, the courts are doing something about all the junk mail promoting various schemes and scams. This week Jeremy Jaynes was sentenced to nine years in prison and Jessica DeGroot was fined $7,500.

RIP-OFF: Independent Committee of Eminent Persons (ICEP)

Have you heard the phrase "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”? There is a scam floating around on the Internet that certainly qualifies. It claims that the strangely titled (and fictitious) "Independent Committee of Eminent Persons" has found millions of dollars that you can claim.

The scam e-mail is humorous. Here are some of the claims:

One Vendor Out of his Element

I have written many times about companies that sell copies of "your family's coat of arms." Anyone who has been doing genealogy for a while knows that there is no such thing. In England, Ireland, and Scotland, as well as most of Europe, coats of arms are not issued to families. They are only issued to individuals. At any given time, only one person is authorized to display a particular coat of arms, and then only if he (or sometimes she) possesses written authorization to do so from the heralds in the issuing country. Anyone else who uses a coat of arms is guilty of some form of impersonation.

I was very surprised to see a vendor at the Federation of Genealogical Societies selling "your family's coat of arms."

International (Surname) Family Yearbook from MORPHCORP

NOTE: This is an updated version of a story I wrote a couple of years ago. The company described apparently is still very active, according to reports received in e-mail. It seems appropriate to republish this information now.

A company in Colorado has been selling "family yearbooks" for years. They send advertisements for the "International [Surname] Family Yearbook" or similar titles. In this case, substitute your last name in place of "[Surname]." For instance, an advertisement sent to a person named Smith would be advertising "The Smith Family Yearbook" while someone named Clark would receive an advertisement for "The Clark Family Yearbook."

"Indian Chief" Escapes Jail Sentence for False Genealogy Claims

Two weeks ago I wrote about Ronald A. Roberts, who calls himself Chief Golden Eagle. I wrote:

Times are difficult for Sachem Golden Eagle of the Western Mohegan Indian tribe. It seems that he is not a sachem and not even an Indian. His name isn't Golden Eagle; it is Ronald A. Roberts. Now he is awaiting sentencing on his recent conviction for filing false documents. The documents in question were the "proof" of his claims of having Native American ancestry.