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Domain Due Diligence
Report for Familysearch.org

Report Date December 30, 2025
Recommendation
Proceed
Overall Summary
Safe
Why we think so

FamilySearch.org is a widely used genealogy website with about 21.6 million monthly visits, primarily from the United States. It offers free access to billions of historical records and genealogy data. The site runs on reputable infrastructure with Amazon hosting and is secured by a valid SSL certificate. It operates under Intellectual Reserve, Inc., affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and holds multiple active trademarks. Local FamilySearch centers provide in-person community services, reflecting a strong offline presence. News sources show ongoing user engagement and events. While the official site is secure and not blacklisted, user reviews highlight problems with data accuracy, vandalism in the collaborative family tree, and customer support responsiveness, not indicating a scam but suggesting caution when interpreting shared data.

Confidence Score
88%

Risk Insights

🛡️

Strong Domain Legitimacy

Established since 1998 with consistent registrar
High traffic (~21.6 million monthly visits) mostly from US
Reputable hosting and valid SSL certificate
✅

Brand Authenticity Confirmed

Multiple active trademarks owned by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Official contact details and social media present
Physical centers with positive reviews in US locations
⚠️

User Data Accuracy Concerns

Collaborative family tree prone to vandalism and errors
Customer support sometimes slow to respond
No scam reported but exercise caution in data use

Contradictory Signals

The site is not a scam and technically secure, but some users report issues with data integrity and moderation on collaborative features.

Signal A: No presence on scam or phishing blacklists

Signal B: User complaints about vandalism and poor support

Category Scores

Identity 95/100
Reputation 80/100
Technical 90/100
Content 75/100
Legal 85/100
Business Validity 90/100

Red Flags & Warnings

  • User complaints about vandalism and inaccurate edits in the collaborative Family Tree feature, leading to unreliable data in places.

🔎 Detailed Checks & Analysis

Domain Popularity and Traffic

Score: 90/100
Passed

"traffic data from SimilarTech and SimilarWeb APIs show stable and authentic user base."

Reason: High monthly visits (~21.6M) mainly from the US, strong direct and search traffic share support legitimacy.

Hosting, SSL, and Technical Infrastructure

Score: 90/100
Passed

"No SSL issues, domain well maintained technically, DNS and MX records consistent."

Reason: Uses reputable Amazon AWS hosting and valid DigiCert SSL certificate, ensuring secure and reliable infrastructure.

Brand and Trademark Verification

Score: 85/100
Passed

"Trademarks cover familysearch name and related genealogical services since 2000."

Reason: Multiple active registered trademarks under Intellectual Reserve, Inc. confirm brand authenticity.

Blacklist and Scam Checks

Score: 100/100
Passed

"Domain not associated with known scam or phishing activity."

Reason: No entries found in crypto scam databases or Google Safe Browsing blacklist for phishing or malware.

Contact and Ownership Transparency

Score: 80/100
Passed

"Organizational contacts align with known entity Intellectual Reserve, Inc."

Reason: Official emails, phone numbers, and social media links are publicly available, confirming legitimacy.

Physical Presence and Community Engagement

Score: 70/100
Passed

"Locations primarily in California with good user feedback."

Reason: Multiple physical FamilySearch centers with positive user ratings show active offline presence.

Reputation and User Reviews

Score: 65/100
Passed

"Users complain about unauthorized edits and poor support but confirm site not a scam."

Reason: While official and technically trustworthy, user reports highlight vandalism and data accuracy issues in collaborative family trees.

Your Next Steps

  • 1
    Access and use the site for research, focusing on document records rather than editable family tree entries.
  • 2
    Be cautious of collaborative data edits and verify genealogical information independently due to reported user vandalisms and errors.
  • 3
    Avoid sharing sensitive personal information on profiles and use official site channels for support and reporting issues.
  • 4
    Use site-provided abuse reporting tools to address any spam or inappropriate content encountered.
  • 5
    Verify URLs carefully to avoid fake scam sites impersonating FamilySearch, as official site is always familysearch.org with HTTPS.

Evidence & Citations

🕵🏻 Keep investigating

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