General Chat

Several years ago, a gentleman emailed me through GR to ask about a relative on my tree. He explained he also was a descendant, and was looking for a link between my tree and his. I allowed him access, and over the next little while, until I caught on, he "copied and pasted" every single person in my family tree. What is so annoying about this is that there is absolutely no connection whatsoever to his - at least as far back as 1733.

I find these tactics most invasive, deceptive and a waste of time for other "real" connections, and just want to be sure that now that I have stpped access to my tree, that he definitely has no ability whatsoever to do so.

I wonder how many other idiots like myself have allowed him access, especially when I see that he has over 7,379 ancestors.

When I read his tree, my ancestors do not show in terms of a box in the branches, but they do in a search. How does this happen?

Amanda

I had someone do something similar to me. He had my dad's adoptive father on his tree, (he's not on mine) and I e-mailed him as I could give him some information to put 'flesh on the bones' as it were.
At the time, GR were having a site 'improvement' and, unbeknownst to me, my tree was automatically opened to this man.
He took everyone - not just from my dad's family, but from my mum's too - and none of us are related to him in the slightest!!
He wasn't quite quick enough though. As soon as I noticed my tree was open I closed it. As a result, he has people born in the wrong place and people who are not related in any way linked to my dad's stepfather - basically his tree is now more of a fallacy than it was before!

The realy annoying thing is when people ask about people on his tree that shouldn't be there - he says he got the information from me, and people are telling me my tree is wrong!!
I then have to explain what happened, point out how few people there are on my tree (150 odd), name Albert, point out how many thousands he has on his and ask just who they think is the most accurate !!!

Suffice to say, he never got the very interesting information about my dad's stepfather!!

maggie

Thanks Amanda, for posting your thread.

It reminds us that there are, indeed, individuals about, who are more than happy to steal other people's trees.

On GR, I generally only communicate via Hot Matches. I tend to ask about a link that I have for cwetain, before replying.

Having read such posts as your own, I am reluctant to give anyone the option of viewing my tree.

Gail x

I had same thing done to me, had both lots of families, mine as well as husbands. i hadnt let him see my tree. but he let me see his

But he had all the info and saying we are related when i knew he wasnt, that was last year.

So some how he is getting into peoples trees

Some people are too nice and open theirs trees to anyone who asks, this is how these people do it, I learnt the hardway to double check the connection before letting anyone see my tree, even then they are likely to be shown a gedcom of their 'branch' rather than my whole tree.

What gets me is people I have no link to opening their tree up to me after I've confirmed their 'Joe Bloggs' is not the same one as the one I have in my tree. I know their not the same people as several details just don't match, although the more interesting one is someone whose person died as a child, where as the person of the same name in my tree married and had children, there not the same person or I wouldn't be here.

Its a shame you can't have multipul trees or limit what people see, it seems to be a case of all or nothing.

Hi Ladies,
I find your experiences worrying. These people are either;

1, A sad person who's trying to fabricate a false family tree & are just deluding themselfs to their place in life. But also causing confusion for those researching.

2, Showing off to their mates with lies of "see how big my tree is, lie, lie, lie"

3, And the most worrying is people hijacking/stealing identities of real past & present people. Either to defraud people of their accounts, or to use the information to create & sell false identities ie passports.
My fear that this maybe the reason, As Treehunter stated, someone accessed her tree info without her permission. Who else has been affected?

I think this should be reported to GR.
People who are operating as 1 & 2 should be banned & have their trees deleted.
Those suspected as 3 to be defrauding, should be reported by GR to the authorities.

Regards,
Steve.

I think this has happened to a lot of us especially when we were newbies. Now I ask who they are looking for and found out further info before opening my tree. Mostly I send them the info on that person when the connection is proved.

So many ask you to open your tree but are not prepared to open theirs. If in doubt don't open till you are completly satisfied and have proof of the connection.

Sadly a few are name collectors. One on another site has Jesus Christ in his tree. I did here another has God.

Pat

Someone put my great great grandfathr on their tree as their great great grandfather, She was no relation. I pointed it out to her. She had just seen the name on Ancestry, and put it in, not going into if he really was an ancestor.

She did take it off, when I pointed out her mistake.

Mo

I am so glad to have found this thread. As Im in the middle of a tree tangle at the moment.

Sunday I opens hot matches to see a tree with 17+ matches to mine. So I click to view - not only do they have me, they have my husband, children and my Aunt and her children and more besides...intrigued I asked for more info.

Wednesday - tree access given and requested - with no information as to who/what etc.


I open up their tree - all 32,500 names of it and searches for me, finds my family...think I have found the supposed link. BUT what is worrying is that this person has the full names and DOB of my children. I email my Aunt as they have info on their tree that even I dont have - like the children and grandchildren of my Aunt - she is very distressed as she does not have a tree in here she has a tree on Ancestry but has it locked so no living persons can be seen.

I contacted them again asking for sources etc...no reply tto that just a second request to view my tree...errr NOI!! Not until they clariffy who they are.

What can we do now? Aunt like I say is very distressed as she did not want living relatives on view.

Sonja

Sonja

Ask GR to remove these living people from that persons tree. Neither you nor your aunt has given permission for their details to be on someone else's tree.

If I found myself or my siblings on someone else's tree without our permission I would go ballistic.

Mary

I only have my tree on GR, but regularly do a search for close living relatives - and more than once have had to ask one person to remove my mother!
I have my (late) dad under the name he knew as a child (neither his real name nor his adopted name), and have asterixed out my grandparents names!
......All because of the one 'name hunter'.

I am not at all possesive about my tree.Everything on it comes from public records including the living people so I just open it up to anybody who wants to see it.Wanna look?

I opened my tree up to a member called Anita,,who actually did have a link but had nothing much on her tree at all,,But that soon changed ,,,she copied almost everything across onto her own. I quickly blocked her before she took it all,The thing is,,,i know my info is correct because iv checked, re-checked and verified it, But does she know that? She seemed happy to copy stuff over without checking it first,,,,silly mare..