A Wee Bit Spooked

Miss Poohs · Post by **Miss Poohs** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:16 am

Last night I joined Genes ReUnited, as I'd been threatening to do, so there I was having a wee rummage, when I noticed someone has added my sister to their family tree.

What disturbed me is, under the "where born" information they've plastered my dads current address.

Now apart from not being where my sister was born, I'm a bit concerned as my dad is alive and well and living at that address - more to the point my sister hasn't lived there for 35 yrs, she's in Canada!!!

I have no issue with this person having added my sis - correct or otherwise, but I want my dads address removed from his details.

Can anyone help?

Muriel · Post by **Muriel** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:28 am

Hi Miss Poohs

There are a few things to do but the main thing is to ca' canny.

1. If you click on the button that says Find Out More you get the surname of the person whose tree it is. That may mean something to you.

2. Make a cautious enquiry of them - just along the lines of "my rellie is the daughter of X & Y but she wasn't born at the address you give, where do you fit in". Make sure when you do this that you don't give them access to your tree, which is the default position so you have to remove the tick.

3. Once you've made contact you can see if it's possible to ask them to remove the address on the grounds that family members still live there. Unfortunately, it's not possible for you to make alterations on someone else's tree. If you don't get a positive response then it would be worth contacting the site moderators to see if they can do anything.

Muriel

Post by **paddyscar** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:26 pm

Hi Miss Poohs:

My heart goes out to you. From my own sad experience with sharing my info with a 'rellie', my sisters' and brother's info landed on there through my own fault. I didn't stipulate that it was for the rellie's info and wasn't for publishing.

Since I had given her the info, I contacted her asking her that she remove it due to privacy concerns and the threat of identity theft in today's environment. Fortunately, she obliged very quickly. I think some don't connect the threat in making such information publicly available.

You are right to be concerned about your Father's safety, and I think Muriel has given you excellent steps to take.

Wishing you speedy retraction of the information,

Kind regards,
Frances

Miss Poohs · Post by **Miss Poohs** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:07 pm

I contacted the guy myself and it turns out to be some relative to my brother - in - law, so I'm going to ask him to remove the reference to my dads address.

In exchange I can help pad out his tree a wee bit too

Post by **paddyscar** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:19 pm

More flies with honey

Well done Mis Poohs

Muriel · Post by **Muriel** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:03 pm

So glad you've had a positive result. You can hide living/possibly living relatives on your GR tree & I always do that. I also always "fillet" my tree so that it only shows my direct line or those people I'm trying to find out more about - it's a bit of a chore but I reckon it's worthwhile.

Muriel

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:06 pm

Wow! That is scary!

I don't put myself, my husband, brothers, sisters, my father or contemporary cousins or anyone living on my tree. I didn't even like putting my mother on my tree, where unknown eyes can see it.

I will be putting my more immediate family on a tree in my spreadsheet, which will be for my eyes, or my immediate families, eyes only. I just don't want to take any chances.

Regards