Every minute in the US, 19 people have their identities stolen by someone who simply knew enough about them to take out loans, open credit cards and drain bank accounts. You should take all the steps you can to prevent your identity from being stolen, including removing your information from a website called Family Tree Now.

The site seems to mean well by letting you search your genealogy and family history, but the information they have on you can be downright scary. They boast the largest collection of genealogy records anywhere, and they’re all 100% free to search. But because it's free to search, anyone can find out a lot about you.

I searched my name and found every address I've ever lived at, including some I had forgotten about as well as family members and people I have known in my lifetime. They claim it's all information from public records, and while that's probably true, they've made it very easy for anyone to find out too much about you.

If I were you, I would search familytreenow.com and find out if your name is listed and what personal information they have on you. Then opt out.

Go to familytreenow.com/optout and follow the four steps you're given. You'll get a notification that your record is being processed and may take up to 48 hours to be removed. Mine however was gone in less than 10 minutes.

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Once you've done that, you'll want to let your friends and relatives know they should do the same.

 

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