Forensic Genealogy is the use of genealogy in order to locate missing people and solve crimes, a juicy subject.
I recently attended a lecture by a well regarded and experienced Forensic Genealogist. She told about doing numerous family charts in order to locate someone who might know where a woman who had gone missing might be. This was not exactly a teenage runaway situation. There had been a remarriage, a step-parent, and the person intentionally cut off from everyone. That's difficult to do. Maybe her reasons wouldn't seem rational to you or me, but the Forensic Genealogist sought to give her family "closure." And they got it. She had lived for many years but had commit suicide. She had done what many people do when they want to get lost. She had assumed the identity of a person who had died who was about her age. Other than assume this identity, and gather together the paperwork she would need to prove who she was and keep her cover, she was never involved in any other "criminal" activity. I looked at some web sites that tied to the Forensic Genealogist's and some of them started out using the word "Criminal" because of "Identity Theft" on this person who needed to get lost as she saw it, and I sort of cringed.
While listening to the lecture I thought about Missing Persons.
Tell me, if YOU hated your family, maybe had a terrible childhood, and you wanted to get lost, if you never wanted to hear from them again,what would you do? Expect the FBI or CIA to create a new ID for you? Law enforcement does those things for people in Witness Protection Programs sometimes. Tombstone websites would certainly make locating someone your age who died more accessible to you, easier than prowling cemeteries in other towns by yourself!
It turned out that yes, there was ONE person, a distant family member, who had contact with her and kept her secret for many years. That he kept her secret makes me think that she had some good reasons to leave and be in hiding. My guess, the stepfather molested her.
C2017 All Rights Reserved.
Showing posts with label Identity Theft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Identity Theft. Show all posts
17 June 2017
02 October 2016
WORKHOUSES - REFORMATORIES- PRISON RECORDS - LATEST ON ANCESTRY.COM DATABASES - CRIMINAL USE
As you know, this BlogSpot is not owned, operated, or related to the ANCESTRY.COM databases, and though I do use those databases, I also use others, as well as microfilms, books, and much else.
I do check to see what is new or updated on ANCESTRY.COM every few months, even if I'm not working on a genealogy research project in which I would use those databases. I feel that I should always be current with knowledge of resources, just in case.
I recently discovered one called PENNSYLVANIA PRISON, REFORMATORY, and WORKHOUSE RECORDS 1829-1971. To me the 1971 is MUCH TOO RECENT TO BE PUBLISHED as it might OUT PEOPLE WHO ARE ALIVE.
I'm concerned about the lack of discrimination and the use of these databases by both Ancestry and the State of Pennsylvania... but I'll have to check and see if such records have always been, like marriage and divorce records, open to the public in Pennsylvania. In California arrest records are, but I'm not aware of the public easily learning about sentences, and other details.
At this point I'm very concerned about the use of genealogy databases by criminals, in this era in which other countries are hacking our e-mails, web sites, even voters registrations in order to ID THEFT. Identity theft is not just about ruining a person's credit and financial reputation, but in ASSUMING IDENTITIES.
Criminals doing this targeted a senior citizen couple in my neighborhood, calling them with knowledge of their children's names and even a grandchild's name. They had their address and phone number - easy enough. They claimed that they were calling from Mexico, with a made up story about how their beloved grandson had gone there for a wedding, drank too much, acted crazy, and was in a Mexican prison. For a sum of $40,000 (their life savings) he could be bailed out of jail and returned to the United States and no one need to know. His young life would not need to be ruined with an arrest record. So much did the criminals know about this family that the seniors wired the money to Mexico, only to learn their grandson had never left the United States and was alive and well (and not at all criminal) at his college...
Never the less I did look at the database, which names people, the reason why they were arrested, the time or fine they were sentenced to, their prison job, and any amount of money they had earned while in the prison, reformatory (reform school - indicative of a juvenile delinquent), or workhouse (place a person works off their debts), from a historical point of view.
These places were frightening to the people who were put into them, and the offences are quite telling.
For instance, I came across men who were put into prison for sodomy and women who were called Com Prost (Common Prostitute). The Com Prost must have not been an Uncommon Prostitute, but maybe this was to indicated that the woman walked the street, or had a pimp, rather than that they worked in a Bordello with a Madam, or perhaps were the Mistress of a Rich man! I saw one that, I think - because the handwriting was so bad - was in the institution for "dice and cards." (Could it be that this was considered minor gambling?) Vagrancy, in other words homelessness, was punishable by being put into one of these places. Selling liquor became a crime during prohibition.
I ran a number of family names from Pennsylvania and was relieved not to discover that anyone I'm familiar with through my research was put into any of these places.
However, let's face the facts that some people have not and do not live privileged or charmed lives and that poverty or mental illness could condemn them to activities that might have meant their survival, that is if the conditions they found themselves in didn't hurt their health or even kill them in the mean time.
C 2016 Ancestry Worship Genealogy Blogspot All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
I do check to see what is new or updated on ANCESTRY.COM every few months, even if I'm not working on a genealogy research project in which I would use those databases. I feel that I should always be current with knowledge of resources, just in case.
I recently discovered one called PENNSYLVANIA PRISON, REFORMATORY, and WORKHOUSE RECORDS 1829-1971. To me the 1971 is MUCH TOO RECENT TO BE PUBLISHED as it might OUT PEOPLE WHO ARE ALIVE.
I'm concerned about the lack of discrimination and the use of these databases by both Ancestry and the State of Pennsylvania... but I'll have to check and see if such records have always been, like marriage and divorce records, open to the public in Pennsylvania. In California arrest records are, but I'm not aware of the public easily learning about sentences, and other details.
At this point I'm very concerned about the use of genealogy databases by criminals, in this era in which other countries are hacking our e-mails, web sites, even voters registrations in order to ID THEFT. Identity theft is not just about ruining a person's credit and financial reputation, but in ASSUMING IDENTITIES.
Criminals doing this targeted a senior citizen couple in my neighborhood, calling them with knowledge of their children's names and even a grandchild's name. They had their address and phone number - easy enough. They claimed that they were calling from Mexico, with a made up story about how their beloved grandson had gone there for a wedding, drank too much, acted crazy, and was in a Mexican prison. For a sum of $40,000 (their life savings) he could be bailed out of jail and returned to the United States and no one need to know. His young life would not need to be ruined with an arrest record. So much did the criminals know about this family that the seniors wired the money to Mexico, only to learn their grandson had never left the United States and was alive and well (and not at all criminal) at his college...
Never the less I did look at the database, which names people, the reason why they were arrested, the time or fine they were sentenced to, their prison job, and any amount of money they had earned while in the prison, reformatory (reform school - indicative of a juvenile delinquent), or workhouse (place a person works off their debts), from a historical point of view.
These places were frightening to the people who were put into them, and the offences are quite telling.
For instance, I came across men who were put into prison for sodomy and women who were called Com Prost (Common Prostitute). The Com Prost must have not been an Uncommon Prostitute, but maybe this was to indicated that the woman walked the street, or had a pimp, rather than that they worked in a Bordello with a Madam, or perhaps were the Mistress of a Rich man! I saw one that, I think - because the handwriting was so bad - was in the institution for "dice and cards." (Could it be that this was considered minor gambling?) Vagrancy, in other words homelessness, was punishable by being put into one of these places. Selling liquor became a crime during prohibition.
I ran a number of family names from Pennsylvania and was relieved not to discover that anyone I'm familiar with through my research was put into any of these places.
However, let's face the facts that some people have not and do not live privileged or charmed lives and that poverty or mental illness could condemn them to activities that might have meant their survival, that is if the conditions they found themselves in didn't hurt their health or even kill them in the mean time.
C 2016 Ancestry Worship Genealogy Blogspot All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
03 November 2015
SOCIAL SECURITY APPLICATIONS and CLAIMS INDEX - USEFULNESS BEYOND THE OBVIOUS!
As identity thieves and frauds have been using the Social Security Death Indexes for criminal activity, over the last few years there have been some removals (Rootsweb's Free Indexes, now owned by Ancestry.com) and restrictions.
To sincere and honest persons intent on genealogy research this has been upsetting. However, as someone who has been subject to the use of such information for criminal activity, I myself have been wondering when our United States government will begin to restrict the use of all the free or low cost information available on the Internet and on specialty databases that have citizens so easily spying on each other; the exact behavior we loathed back in the day when we heard citizens of the Soviet Union were encouraged to do so.
Socially, it's a real turn off to meet someone for coffee for the first time and have them tell you all the things they found out about you on the net.
I went to a historical site one time where the docent, who apparently took pride in her family's involvement in the region, looked at my signature in the sign in book and then asked, "And what is your maiden name?" (I told her "that IS my maiden name!) She was a bit much. Now, I hold my own family cards closer to my chest.
I've also had the experience of people calling relatives, lying that they are my friend, and then saying that they need my current address and phone number. And these dummy relatives gave that information out!
But since ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY BLOGSPOT is for the sincere and honest researchers, let's talk about the UNITED STATES SOCIAL SECURITY APPLICATIONS and CLAIMS INDEX, which, as provided by Ancestry.com databases, covers the years 1936-2007.
First, you can still send away for the ORIGINAL APPLICATION. Those of us who used to send away to the Social Security Administration for ORIGINAL APPLICATION copies when the cost per each one was relatively inexpensive and reasonable were also upset when the fees went up to about $36 - $38 each. The lesser fee was for those applications in which the SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER of the applicant was known. Using a database you might be able to find that number even if you were not a close family member. (If the information is over 75 years old, it will generally still be available to anyone for the asking.) Of course, in filling out the application the government knows who is asking for it, so if there is criminal behavior involved that is documented. That's good since the sincere and honest researcher is an ethical person who is not using the information for criminal activity or spying. (Anyone involved in PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGY RESEARCH SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE FAMILY THAT IS PAYING FOR THEIR SERVICES EXPECTS THEM TO RESPECT THEIR PRIVACY AS WELL!)
So -
THE APPLICATIONS and CLAIMS INDEX is a VERY VALUABLE database.
It is useful beyond the obvious.
Let's say that you use it by NAME of the deceased and it has this information (a fictional example).
MARIANNA ROSE SCMIDT
born November 15 1925
Germany
Father Greyson Andrew SCMIDT
Mother Rose Ann CRABBE
Death November 15 1999
Original
June 1941
May 1943 Marianna C. SMITH
May 1945 Marianna Rose WEAVER
August 1950 Marianna R. ROSCETTI
Nov 23 1999 Marianna R. ROSCETTI
Here is the information you might be able to deduce from what appears to be "just the facts, mam, just the facts."
Marianna was born on November 15, 1925 in Germany. However, her parents may or may not have been citizens of Germany. They might have just been on a vacation or visiting relatives when she was born. It might be interesting to check the ship records, incoming and outgoing - Germany and the United States where we might find the family.
It follows that she was living in the United States and likely an American Citizen when she went to work in about June of 1941 and made her first application for Social Security as at this point payments to Social Security would have been made from her employer to the government in her name.
A couple years later, it's possible Marianna decided it would do her some good to CHANGE HER NAME from the clumsy Scmidt to the name Smith and that she is using her mother's illustrious Crabbe surname as her legal middle name. Of course we will want to prove that before accepting it.
There may or may not have been a legal name change and if so, it may be on file. Checking around the 1940 census, we can possibly learn if her parents were living, if she was living with them or elsewhere, and where she might have processed a legal name change. We also know that we have to check for Marianna under the name Smith from now on.
It's also possible that the change in name to Smith was because she married. We would want to check the marriage indexes.
In May of 1945 it is very possible that Marianna did marry someone with the surname Weaver.
And it's possible that she married for the 2nd or 3rd time in August of 1950, a Mr. Roscetti. Now we are looking for marriages, deaths, and divorces in each case. In November of 1999, still going by the name Marianna Rose Roscetti, the lady died and at that time she was collecting Social Security.
We would want to follow this up with a search for her death records, civil, cemetery, and/or church.
C 2015 Ancestry Worship Genealogy BlogSpot All Rights Reserved
To sincere and honest persons intent on genealogy research this has been upsetting. However, as someone who has been subject to the use of such information for criminal activity, I myself have been wondering when our United States government will begin to restrict the use of all the free or low cost information available on the Internet and on specialty databases that have citizens so easily spying on each other; the exact behavior we loathed back in the day when we heard citizens of the Soviet Union were encouraged to do so.
Socially, it's a real turn off to meet someone for coffee for the first time and have them tell you all the things they found out about you on the net.
I went to a historical site one time where the docent, who apparently took pride in her family's involvement in the region, looked at my signature in the sign in book and then asked, "And what is your maiden name?" (I told her "that IS my maiden name!) She was a bit much. Now, I hold my own family cards closer to my chest.
I've also had the experience of people calling relatives, lying that they are my friend, and then saying that they need my current address and phone number. And these dummy relatives gave that information out!
But since ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY BLOGSPOT is for the sincere and honest researchers, let's talk about the UNITED STATES SOCIAL SECURITY APPLICATIONS and CLAIMS INDEX, which, as provided by Ancestry.com databases, covers the years 1936-2007.
First, you can still send away for the ORIGINAL APPLICATION. Those of us who used to send away to the Social Security Administration for ORIGINAL APPLICATION copies when the cost per each one was relatively inexpensive and reasonable were also upset when the fees went up to about $36 - $38 each. The lesser fee was for those applications in which the SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER of the applicant was known. Using a database you might be able to find that number even if you were not a close family member. (If the information is over 75 years old, it will generally still be available to anyone for the asking.) Of course, in filling out the application the government knows who is asking for it, so if there is criminal behavior involved that is documented. That's good since the sincere and honest researcher is an ethical person who is not using the information for criminal activity or spying. (Anyone involved in PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGY RESEARCH SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE FAMILY THAT IS PAYING FOR THEIR SERVICES EXPECTS THEM TO RESPECT THEIR PRIVACY AS WELL!)
So -
THE APPLICATIONS and CLAIMS INDEX is a VERY VALUABLE database.
It is useful beyond the obvious.
Let's say that you use it by NAME of the deceased and it has this information (a fictional example).
MARIANNA ROSE SCMIDT
born November 15 1925
Germany
Father Greyson Andrew SCMIDT
Mother Rose Ann CRABBE
Death November 15 1999
Original
June 1941
May 1943 Marianna C. SMITH
May 1945 Marianna Rose WEAVER
August 1950 Marianna R. ROSCETTI
Nov 23 1999 Marianna R. ROSCETTI
Here is the information you might be able to deduce from what appears to be "just the facts, mam, just the facts."
Marianna was born on November 15, 1925 in Germany. However, her parents may or may not have been citizens of Germany. They might have just been on a vacation or visiting relatives when she was born. It might be interesting to check the ship records, incoming and outgoing - Germany and the United States where we might find the family.
It follows that she was living in the United States and likely an American Citizen when she went to work in about June of 1941 and made her first application for Social Security as at this point payments to Social Security would have been made from her employer to the government in her name.
A couple years later, it's possible Marianna decided it would do her some good to CHANGE HER NAME from the clumsy Scmidt to the name Smith and that she is using her mother's illustrious Crabbe surname as her legal middle name. Of course we will want to prove that before accepting it.
There may or may not have been a legal name change and if so, it may be on file. Checking around the 1940 census, we can possibly learn if her parents were living, if she was living with them or elsewhere, and where she might have processed a legal name change. We also know that we have to check for Marianna under the name Smith from now on.
It's also possible that the change in name to Smith was because she married. We would want to check the marriage indexes.
In May of 1945 it is very possible that Marianna did marry someone with the surname Weaver.
And it's possible that she married for the 2nd or 3rd time in August of 1950, a Mr. Roscetti. Now we are looking for marriages, deaths, and divorces in each case. In November of 1999, still going by the name Marianna Rose Roscetti, the lady died and at that time she was collecting Social Security.
We would want to follow this up with a search for her death records, civil, cemetery, and/or church.
C 2015 Ancestry Worship Genealogy BlogSpot All Rights Reserved
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)