FamilyTreeNow.com bills itself as a free family tree and genealogy research site, but beware. Although you can create and save family tree charts, there are no biographies or family history stories. The site really is not much more than a people finder. It searches databases of public records and consumer information and returns results, primarily of living people. (Unlike FamilySearch.org, which restricts information about living people.)

Try it. Enter your name and basic information at FamilyTreeNow.com and you’ll see family members (with their ages and birth years), past and current addresses, phone numbers, and even information about relatives and known associates. There are many such sites on the Internet that will provide this kind of information, but usually for a fee. (For example, Whitepages, Spokeo, and Persopo.) But this site is free, making it easy for anyone to access that information.

Don’t confuse FamilyTreeNow with legitimate genealogy sites like FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage. (Latter-day Saints can access all these sites for free at FamilySearch.org/partneraccess.)

If you don’t want your personal information so readily available online, FamilyTreeNow lets you opt out so that your records no longer come up in their search. It doesn’t remove you from these databases of records, but it will hide your record from people who search as this site. To opt out, go to the FamilyTreeNow opt-out page.

Learn more:

• You’ve probably never heard of this creepy genealogy site. But it knows a lot about you.
• Free website shares personal family history of millions
• How FamilyTreeNow Makes Stalking Easy
• Want to opt out of FamilyTreeNow? Check Spokeo, Whitepages too
• Articles on LDSMediaTalk about online safety and privacy.