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Doing a SocSec Search Online

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by cindy - extraordinary brat 1 view

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Any good ideas/software suggestions/ to doing a Social Security search online to locate someone?

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by syscokid

First off, the Social Security Administration only has addresses for people currently receiving benefits.

Second, that information is confidential and unavailable on the Internet.

Due to Privacy Act laws, even if you were to walk into a SocialSecurity office and say you ran away from home as a child and regret it and want to get in touch with your long-lost father, the best that could happen is they'd offer to forward a letter from you to him (assuming he is currently receiving benefits and they believe a compelling reason exists).

So unless I misundersatnd your question, it can't be done.

by syscokid

There are, of course, other circumstances where information can be released without consent. For instance, to law enforcement agencies who are seeking convicted felons.

For full details, contact your local Social Security office. You can use the Locator at

http://s00dace.ssa.gov/pro/fol/fol-home.html

to find the office nearest you.

by syscokid

Well, I feel well and truly dumb now. Since the SSN is almost an unofficial universal identifier, it turns up in many databases not maintained by the Social Security Administration. So yeah, for a buck, you can get information about a person if you know their number.

by lizzy

I found some on a search I did, but most want to sell you this information...

http://www.usatrace.com/ssntrace.html

http://www.detectiveconsultant.com/id19.htm

https://www.ussocialsecuritysearch.com/index.htm?source=Overture_social_security_search

(the above one says no find, no charge!)

http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/

http://www.locatepeople.com/

http://www.lostpeople.com/

http://cyber-spy.net/index.html

The following one is great if the person has died--it really works! This is the one I was looking for that I used years ago when I needed it. I didn't know the social security number, only the name.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/fto_ssdisearch.html?Welcome=1026844751

There are no spaces in the URL's.
HTH

by emrecall

Of course you could try a simple google search for the number itself and see if you get a hit. You might be surprised.

by alpha-male

Entering "Search by social security number" (with no quotes) in Yahoo, I got 920,000 hits. Most were pay sites but several claimed to be free.

I would be very very wary...the ethics, legality and confidentiality risks involved in using this information on the web are staggering. Before you use a site I would research them carefully, know they are secure, know how they handle the confidentiality issues, know you have permission to do the search, etc.

If I found out my ssn had been blastedout over the web (or sent to an undergroud site posing as a legitimate organization) and now I was having identity theft issues I would be furious beyond words...so I'd have my lawyer speak for me.

This is murky water and I would be careful...

by john_wills

This is a little off-line, but one can use www.google.com for person searches using the name. I have found several living persons lately. Problems arise if the name is common. I suppose one might use the SSN, but there would have to be a web page quoting it, which is a little unlikely.

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