Thursday, May 15, 2014

A new-to-me DNA cousin, or a scam?

Found this email in my junk folder this morning, subject: DNA cousin:

Hello,
 
I'm sorry to be bothering you, but I have news for you. My name is Nelson Ivandro Lima Zêgo, was born in Santo Antão island - Cape Verde.
 I Did the dna test - family finder in family tree dna match and told me that we are cousins.
Testing my I'm 56% West africa (bantu people), 36% European (French, Norway, germany, Russian, spanish and tuscan) and 8% Middle East (turkey Jewish and north africa jewish).
My facebook is ivandro Zêgo
 
Greetings,
Nelson Zêgo
 
A new DNA cousin, I thought when I glanced at the subject line. But then got very suspicious when I read it. The main thing that struck me is that I haven't tested with Family Tree DNA!
 
I checked SNOPES but it had nothing for me. Maybe this scam is new. Where are they picking up email addresses, that's what I'd like to know. Obviously I have an interest in DNA for genealogy, but probably don't match Bantu people (more likely Ghana for my 1% West African DNA), Jewish, Spanish or... Tuscan?? What's Tuscan DNA?!
 
Just thought you'd like to know.
 
 
 

6 comments:

  1. Diane,

    I want to let you know that your blog post is listed in today's Fab Finds post at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2014/05/follow-friday-fab-finds-for-may-16-2014.html

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thanks so much, Jana! Have a lovely weekend too:)

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  2. I received an email from the same guy last night that said:

    "Good night, Im sory the inconvenience, I saw an email in gedmatch. The gedmatch and family finder says we are cousins. My name is Nelson Ivandro Lima Zego. I am from Cape Verde and I live in Portugal and my facebook is ttps://www.facebook.com/ivandro.zego I hope to have more information! Nelson Ivandro Zego"

    I went to my GedMatch and searched all those names in my hits and, of course, he wasn't there. I did not click on the link in the email but did find the account when I searched for him on FaceBook.

    This is sad if it's a new form of phishing because it makes you less likely to trust those who need or want to give ancestry help!

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    Replies
    1. Maybe you should look more carefully. Nelson Ivandro Zego is a Portuguese man living outside Lisbon and born in Cape Verde who is definitely on Gedmatch. He matches me, my Aunt, and my first cousin as well as a host of other DNA matches from both Ancestry and other systems who also match me. If I could attach a jpg of my matches here I would...and you would see him in the 20th position on my list as a "cousin" at the 4.7 generation. He is not a scam and has been treated very shabbily on this blog.

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    2. Hi Walt.
      Thanks for the reply. I asked him for his GEDmatch kit number and he did give it to me so I'm investigating and reconsidering my posts. I still take umbrage with him, or anyone for that matter, calling me a racist. The way he presented himself, I think, is the issue here. I'll be doing a blog post about that as well and hope to clear up some aspects of this issue.
      Sorry if you and I got off on the wrong foot:)
      All the best, Diane

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  3. Hey, w.b.! I

    Guess we're cousins too... due to our mutual cousin there in Cape Verde and Portugal!

    Am wondering, do you share his Tuscan DNA? Sounds tasty:) haha!

    Yeah, phishing. That's my guess too. Thanks for commenting.

    Diane

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