Occasionally, a fake or spam website might pose as FamilySearch.org.
Remember that FamilySearch is, and always will be, a free website for all users. FamilySearch will never ask for credit card or debit card information, and FamilySearch will never request payment information of any kind, including bank information.
The following are some quick and simple ways to detect whether or not a website is owned and operated by FamilySearch:
1. The web address (or URL) is not FamilySearch.org.
2. The web address is not secure (the URL is not led by https://).
3. The FamilySearch brand colors are not correct.
4. The webpage or images may contain incorrect information.
5. There may be spelling or grammatical errors.
6. There may be use of other official websites in an effort to make the fake website look valid.
7. There may be information about items unrelated to FamilySearch, such as third-party advertising.
8. The contact information does not match the web address on the fake website.
9. Some buttons may be missing, floating on the page, or lead nowhere.
10. The contact information may be partially correct or entirely incorrect.
If you find a website posing as FamilySearch, please report the information to DL-FH-Security@familysearch.org.