Genealogy Chat

I also had this happen to me. He is related to my dad's stepdad Alfred,
I contacted him as I was prepared to give him information about Alfred that he may not have had. Unfortunately I forgot messaging automatically opened my tree. He now has all my mum's side of the family on his tree - but in his haste to steal it, has got many facts wrong, which has effectively negated the information I have on my tree. I also find it strange that he doesn't have much of my dad's side - the side he could perhaps claim a rather bizarre connection to.
I have pointed out that Alfred was my dad's stepfather and no real relation to Alfred, so definitely no relation to him, but he insists we are related.
Just had him come up on 'Hotmatches'.
I had to contact him again to point out that if we have that many ancestors in common, we must be siblings!!

It's a shame, as I have my tree permanently open to other, honest people, who are genuine genealogists who only look at the people directly related to them,

maggie

If you want to use the site to search for possible connections to your family tree, then removing it from the site is rather pointless.

This topic comes up almost weekly. Most contacts I have (over 150 with common relatives) are only interested in their little bit of my tree, but now and again there are those who decide to copy larger chunks onto theirs, for whatever their reason.

These people tend to be branded as "Name Collectors" which many are not, it is just their way of following their hobby.

Unfortunately this is one of the risk that you take in letting someone else see your tree, you pays your money, as they say.

You don't need to remove your tree. Just be careful when you reply to anyone that you uncheck the box that says "let them view my tree". I don't know why the site has it checked automatically, but I always uncheck it.

I had someone last week who agreed that we had no connected and the next email said "I have opened my tree to you", and the next said "Please open your tree to me", but I didn't. What is the point?

Regards

Margaret

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my question, as RobG says it's creepy! So I have now deleted my tree off this site, which is a shame. 'Gillian' who I got the Hot Matches off, has a few of my in-laws, some of my father, and some of my Mother's family, as well as myself. I have asked to view her tree but have had no reply.
Thanks again Helen

Hi Helen,

I had this happen to me.
I received a contact from someone distantly related to one side of my tree. After checking they were genuine, I opened my tree to them and before long they raided names from the completely opposite half of my tree!
As you say "why do people do this?". I personally find it quite creapy. Needless to say, I immediately removed their access to my tree and am now even more reluctant to open it to others, which is a shame as that is one of the points of sites like this.

Are you sure this person has your relatives - could it just be a coincidence of names? I know I often get so called Hot matches via GR where the person has several names in common with me, but when I look closer all born in other parts of the country and not my relatives.

On Ancestry tree I found someone with my 2 x great grandparents, and when I contacted her. It would appear that she just saw the name was the same as her family, and lived in the same place. They were not related and when I told her where they had been born, she could see not same family. So took it off her tree.
Some people just see a name and assume it is the same family,without going into further details.

Thanks Tina, it makes you wonder why people do this, doesn't it?
Helen

The common ancesters are from twoo completely different familys there have been marriages but not in the way that would connect the family's, the other member has viewed my tree but I have not yet had access to their's. It's very strange cos the relatives that they have on their tree, are really unconnected, by way of religion as well as geography. Helen

Not really sure what you are asking. Do you mean theres a member who has ancesters in common?.

If there is a crossover somewhere maybe there was marriage that connects this.

Have you opened your tree to this member?

Does anyone know how another member can have relatives on their trees that are from many different parts of my family, from both sides of my parents trees going back to the 1800's?