Genealogy Scams

 "surname" Family Yearbook

In 2001, I received a "special invitation" from Maxwell and Christina Floore of Denver, Colorado to purchase "The Floore Yearbook"; published by The Floore Family News. A copy of the invitation is below.

I did some digging on the internet and found there is a 'colony' of people with the same first names - Maxwell and Christina - at the same address, selling the same Yearbooks, using different last names. So far I have found references to Dewater, Schnake, Stockton, Strodtbeck, Schwiesow, Maxfield, Shorb, Hinz, Sibole, Smallidge, McMasters, Elbizecht, Wollum, Hornbeck, Henchert, Shockman, Quertermous, Mobray, Gerhardstein, Shreves, Dillard, Sissom, Geiger, McConathy, Ensminger, Westerhold, Norheim, Brim and now FLOORE. I am sure there are many others. If you have been notified, please let me know - and send me a copy of your invitation.

I wrote the Denver area BBB to inquire about this possible scam. They sent my comments to Maxwell and Christina. They, in turn, wrote me a letter telling me of their research into the FLOORE name since 1986 and offering to send me a copy of the yearbook for my review. When I received the Yearbook, I found a lot of very general, and undocumented information, most of it appeared to be listed gathered from internet sources. For example, the Cousin records had lists of flooring suppliers and installers - hardly cousins!

It is not worth the time or the price. Buyer Beware! I have received information that these people are now out of business. But someone else will surely step up to take their places. If there is a buck to be made by fraud . . .

There was group several years ago, the Halberts, operating out of Bath, Ohio, that offered a similar "service". It was also just a compilation of public records and general information.

I have put copies of a few of the pages below - the Yearbook Cover (with a family crest), the inside cover, and a few inside pages.

Contact me at: floorehistory@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 


 Other Scam Information:

These sites and addresses appear to collect your money for a subscription in order to sell you access to otherwise free online sites that you can access without paying. They include:

www.Familyhistory.com

www.genseekers.com

www.genealogy-express.com

gentruth@aol.com

 

Other links to Scam information can be found at:

Cyndis List - Myths, Hoaxes and Scams

National Genealogical Society

Rootsforum

Ancestry.com

 

If you know of other suspected scam sites or sites that explain or expose scams - please let me know.


Contact me, Ted Floore, at: floorehistory@hotmail.com

 

5.12.08

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