Monday, June 27, 2011

Genealogy Services~ Ways to Protect Yourself From Being a Scam Victim

There are many reputable Genealogy web sites you can go to, but unfortunately there has been some not so savory websites that focus on what they get from you, and not what you can gain from them. They make fraudulent claims to sucker you in. They get your money for a "membership" and you get? NADA. No results. Guess what? 'You just got scammed!' Pathetic really, but how do you protect yourself from these types of predators that promise you everything, but in reality you really have nothing to show for your new "member privileges"?


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Think about what you would do if you had never heard of a particular business before. Can you say Internet search? I do this all the time, for example I know someone who gets all this junk mail in their mailbox at home. They think it's all on the up and up, but really if it weren't for the Internet, I think a lot more people would be scammed out of their hard earned money ten-fold! Maybe even more. So I researched some of the companies that this person had gotten letters from, I can tell you there were many reports through both the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a web site I use called Complaints Board. I have seen another web site called Rip Off Report, but have heard on the Complaints Board that they may even be a scam themselves. Who do you really trust these days? On the Rip Off Report web site I personally just like to read the web sites newest rip off reports, and there's actually several, and some are businesses that we have heard off; big box stores like Wal-mart. Really? OH YEAH! For more information on this particular rip off, go to Rip Off Report - Complaints


Ask yourself these two questions first.
1. What types of services is this so-called Genealogy research company offering to you, the consumer? 
2. What am I getting for my money?


Next you will want to look for contact information, a physical address, phone number or even an email. You have probably heard the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!" This couldn't be further from the truth. You know when a product or service is advertised as "FREE", you have to ask yourself, "Okay, what's the catch?" Nothing in this world is absolutely free of charge. Oh yeah, you can search a surname for free, (just an example) but to see what the real results are you have to pay. Hmmm.. sounds like a little bit of false advertisement, doesn't it?


Check this out! I submitted a genealogy report on the Rip Off Report web site and just take a look at some of the reports they have listed. I do hope that no one was burned by any of these companies.


Genealogy Rip Off





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