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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: PrawnCocktail on Thursday 17 July 25 10:52 BST (UK)

Title: Potential phishing on Ancestry - beware
Post by: PrawnCocktail on Thursday 17 July 25 10:52 BST (UK)
I've just reported the following message to Ancestry:

Hi there,,,,
I hope this message finds you well. Please accept my apologies if this reaches you unexpectedly—it was never my intention to intrude. I came across your profile after been redirected from google (where I searched for your surname) to this website and felt compelled to reach out regarding something significant related to your surname.
As someone new to this platform, I’m still navigating how things work, so I sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding. This matter could be truly impactful, and I’d be honoured to share the details with you privately.
If you’re open to it, kindly contact me at {email address}, and I’ll provide the full information and documentations I can’t share here. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to the possibility of connecting.
Warm regards,"

Newly created account, and no-one is going to Google one of the more common surnames in the country and land up on an Ancestry profile.
Title: Re: Potential phishing on Ancestry - beware
Post by: Zaphod99 on Thursday 17 July 25 13:59 BST (UK)
Did you receive that message via your Ancestry account or to your email address?

Zaphod
Title: Re: Potential phishing on Ancestry - beware
Post by: PrawnCocktail on Thursday 17 July 25 14:38 BST (UK)
Hi Zaphod,

This came in on my Ancestry account.

Ancestry have already come back to me, and said, “ This member’s behavior is a clear breach of our guidelines. “ I have blocked him. Ancestry haven’t said what, if anything, they will do with him.
Title: Re: Potential phishing on Ancestry - beware
Post by: Andrew Tarr on Thursday 17 July 25 14:49 BST (UK)
Looks (sounds) rather like an AI invention to me.  Would any of us say 'impactful' for example ? (my spell-checker doesn't like it either)  ;D
Title: Re: Potential phishing on Ancestry - beware
Post by: jc26red on Thursday 17 July 25 14:59 BST (UK)
I had one similar who was trying to sell me photos of someone in my tree. I replied they were too distant and only the husband of my distant relative so no thank you, not interested. They got quite narked and then asked if I had gone ahead and bought the photo as it had now been sold!
Title: Re: Potential phishing on Ancestry - beware
Post by: Zaphod99 on Thursday 17 July 25 16:57 BST (UK)
impactful(adj.)
1959, in psychotherapy, from impact (n.) + -ful. Related: Impactfully; impactfulness.  (etymonline.com)

It's been a horrendous word for 66 years.

Zaphod

Looks (sounds) rather like an AI invention to me.  Would any of us say 'impactful' for example ? (my spell-checker doesn't like it either)  ;D