Prepared by Elisabeth Lindsay.
Instances of fraud can be found in any field, including genealogy. Some examples of fraud include falsified pedigrees, family histories, and family crests, passed off as authentic and sold for profit. Also known as a scam, genealogy fraud takes many forms including fraudulent websites; products and services sold but never received; e-mail and phishing scams that solicit money or information and; of course, identity theft. Genealogist are advised to be cautious in sharing personal information, to be suspect of unsolicited e-mails, and to verify websites offering products and services.