Did you know that you could search the social security number or SSN database online simply by typing SSN database on your browser to find relatives by SSN quickly, find friends by SSN, lost love, classmates and almost anyone in USA ? It will present a series of tables with all possible combinations of the SSN until you have narrowed the search to the last two digits in the four-digit series from 0001 to 0099. It will list the SSN, the issuing state, the database entry number, records available for that SSN and the last date anything was added to the SSN. Neat, huh?
Of course, when you click on the last column of the SSN database, which is “Action” where you see View Records for that SSN that is where you will hit a snag. It will redirect you to websites such as GovernmentRegistry.org (which is on the top of the list, by the way) and Gov-Records.com. Hmmm…
Do you have “permissible purpose”?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) restricts access to the SSN records to a few licensed entities such as licensed investigators and legitimate investigative companies. This is to protect the private information of people in the SSN database from unscrupulous persons or simply nosy parkers. The SSN is the most often used identifier in identity theft, so these restrictions are a good thing.
If you have a good reason for trying to access the SSN database, then you have to go through the licensed entities i.e. the websites listed above and present “permissible purpose”. This is mandated by the Graham-Leach Act in reference to the FCRA, so if you have no “permissible purpose” you will not have a legitimate basis for getting the information you need.
What information do you actually need?
However, even compliant search companies will provide limited access to the SSN database using a simple SSN search or SSN verification, which will tell you if the SSN and name given are a match or not. If this is all you need then that should be all you get. This can give you an idea if you need to get deeper access or not, and indicate if you need to apply for “permissible purpose” or not. Since in-depth searches into the SSN database can cost more, it may be a good idea to see if you have any reason to go beyond the simple SSN match before you go all out.
Now, if you suspect that your husband may be a bigamist, or your employee is engaged in some shady deals, it would probably be considered “permissible purpose” to get a background check on these people. A superficial check in the SSN database will not give you the evidence you need to confront your husband or dismiss an employee with cause.
The SSN database is a treasure trove of important information, but it should be used circumspectly. Remember, you are most likely in that database as well, so the restrictions that apply will also protect you privacy in the SSN database.