Genealogy Chat

There's been a lot of talk recently about identity theft. I read on a thread yesterday that it's just as easy to trace descendants aswell as ancestors on our trees. The only living relatives I have on my tree are me, my husband and children - I think now that I'm going to delete them, but that still leaves me! I'll have to reduce my details down to a basic form. Members have said on another thread that they don't share their trees with others, and only send a gedcom when they know there's a definite connection. I'm becoming increasing uneasy about this - has anyone been a victim of identity theft through sharing their tree with other family historians?

Rachel I am not sure how someone can steal your identity from what information you put on your tree. What is on your tree about your birth and marriage is easily obtainable from a birth or marriage certificate, and these are already in the public domain (ie, if you have the info from the GRO index, you can order the cert).

Rachel, it happens, no doubt about it, although i dont know of anyone on this site that has actually been seriously 'done' in the way that i think you mean. you identity can be cloned from the contents of your bin bags probably more easily I think what you are reading about and possibly worring about is the fact that, in a box like you have typed above, someone posted far too much info ( it often happens) and a lot of fuss has been made about it. The best advice is 'take care' and 'check' that if anyone contacts you only open your tree to anyone that you are as certain as you can be is really related to you jess x

I'd say the chances of using information here for identity theft are slim. However, for reasons of privacy my family tree starts with an ancestor, and not me; that way, you don't have to have any living relatives shown. Neither myself nor my immediate family appear on my tree here.

The chances of someone using your info for illegal purposes are very very real. It would be foolish of me to state in an open forum how the information could be used and applied, but there is sufficient information in someones tree to cause them serious grief if it were to get into the hands of a competent criminal. Ian

Ive thought about this a lot lately, as so many institutions ask for your mothers maiden name as proof of identity, dont they and its there on my GR and web tree for everyone to see. But then again, anyone using the info for identity theft would need to know your address wouldnt they? I always have my children and hubby as 'living' xxxxxx and on my web tree it just gives living xxxxx private. My son who lives in an inner city apartment (not a tower block, just 4 sets of 3 storey buildings) has woken up 4 times in the night in the last 18 months to see people going through the communal rubbish area. They obviously come equipped with torches and gloves and extra bags into which he sees them putting paperwork. He has phoned the police on each occasion - on one occasion they actually turned up, took the guys away and next day released them. They said they had lost their 'mobile phone and were looking in the rubbish for it'. Now surely it wouldnt take Sherlock Holmes to work out that as they lived 5 miles from the flats it is highly unlikely they would have dropped their phone in the rubbish there?! Nor would they decide to hunt through the rubbish at 3 a.m. in the morning? But they were let free to go back again. Madness. Son has a shredder but he said when he and some of the other owners were clearing the rubbish up that had been thrown around by these guys when the police took them away there were utility bills, credit card bills, even a full bank statement amongst their 'loot'.

Yes, the information is all in the public domain. But why make it easy for criminals by giving them all the information on a plate? This is a problem that is getting more and more serious

Thank you for all your replies. We all like to think that everyone on this site shares our passion and enthusiasm for family history. Unfortunatly as we're seen on recent threads this is not always the case. I think that we're all going to have to be more vigilant. Treat your tree as if it's your prized possession and don't just let anyone see it. I've spent this morning stripping down my tree to the basic details right back through to my grandparents generation. I have separate software so it's not such a great loss. I have also been checking my contacts and have removed access to contacts that haven't contacted me for a while or are not going anywhere. I think that we all have copied some parts of other members trees on to our own at some point, as it is the purpose of this website to share information. However as in Tania's case once that information is put onto someone's own website then it's in the public domain, there for anyone in the world to see and use for whatever purpose. Take care everybody. Rachel

Rachel, Could you remind me how to review tree permissions please? I would like to pare mine down too. Regs Jane

Hi Jane Just go into your contacts page - on the right hand side you're see a column 'Let them see your tree'. If they have access then there will be a tick in that box - click on that tick and it will disappear. A blank box indicates that they have no access.

Thanks Rachel, I'll get onto it right away. Regs Jane

I'll just like to add - has everyone tried to find themselves on www(.)192(.)com ? Anyone can find out your address and who you live with. So if you're a lady living alone..... Now that seriously scares me. Now what happened to data protection?

You can opt to be ex-directory and also have your name omitted from the electoral roll available to the public. nell

Nell We have asked for our names to be omitted from the public register, but I think from memory that was in 2003. This database appears to have been taken from 2002. I wonder when they will update it.

I am not saying it is impossible but It is unlikely that anyone would risk trying comit identity theft using a site like this. You have to register first and that leave a trace which criminals are at pains to avoiid. Dont forget that unless you have an ex directory telephone number your details are already published for all the world to see. Intercepting mail is another favourite, more easy if you live in flats or other shared accomodation without your own letter box. Take care but don't get paranoid.

Yesterday I had to give personal details, for security, to join an organisation and as I did this I realised all the information I was giving was on this site. A while ago someone contacted me about possible connections but gave very little detail. I opened my tree without a second thought. They then contacted me to ask me to open my tree - I had not actually opened it (senior moment!) - but something felt wrong (can't explain what exactly but think maybe the lack of detail in their original message) and I decided to look at their tree. All that was on it was three names, of presumably alive people, whose names did not tie up with the contact and they did not connect with anyone in my tree - not even the same names. I did nothing and waited to see if they contacted me again - they didn't and I rechecked their tree, in case I was having another senior moment, but it was still the same nothing much there and no relevance to my relatives. I never opened my tree to them and never heard from them again. So yesterday after giving over the information as mentioned at the beginning of this post I decided to check who had access to my tree. There were loads of people, I really had not been very careful. I removed everyone except my relatives who I am in contact with. My message - check who you give access to and take care - it could happen to you - and don't make it easy for the criminals! Jo :-)