tonybell_57

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is running a website, FamilySearch.org, that posts the SSNs of your deceased relatives! My dad hasn't been gone 6 months yet and his SSN is already out there for the world to see. What right do they have to post my father's information like that? He was not a member of their Church. He had no connection with their religion.

THIS PISSES ME OFF TO NO END!!!!

Here's the link to the FaceBook group I started if you're interested: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gi...1104061&ref=mf

dlq04

Sorry for your loss but what difference does it make? The point of the site is to trace relatives.

tonybell_57

Since were still settling his estate, it makes a big difference to us.

You don't need SSNs to do that. How many people know their relative's SSNs when trying to trace family? Seriously.

MsPerky

Well, SSNs are considered private information. I'm pretty sure what they are doing is not legal. But maybe it is if the persons are deceased? I can see why you are not happy about it.

buckeyesue

tonybell, I am very sorry to hear of the loss of your father.

I can definitely understand your concern regarding social security numbers.

I have dabbled a little bit in genealogy research, and I have often looked at the familysearch.org site that you mentioned.

There are also other Social Security Death Indices on-line that are searchable. I just looked at the site that I often look at (not the familysearch.org one but a different one), and the deaths are current up to the last two months.

I often look at the California Death Index, too, which has deaths listed only through 1997.

I think that these sites are commercial sites, but they must get the info from the Soc. Sec. Admin.

I was curious about the regulations and I looked at the Soc. Sec. Admin. website regarding this.

Here is what it says on the SSA site:

"Q9: What information is available from Social Security records to help in genealogical research?

A: You might want to start by checking out the Social Security Death Index which is available online from a variety of commercial services (usually the search is free). The Death Index contains a listing of persons who had a Social Security number, who are deceased, and whose death was reported to the Social Security Administration. (The information in the Death Index for people who died prior to 1962 is sketchy since SSA's death information was not automated before that date. Death information for persons who died before 1962 is generally only in the Death Index if the death was actually reported to SSA after 1962, even though the death occurred prior to that year.)

If you find a person in the Death Index you will learn the date of birth and Social Security Number for that person. (The Social Security Death Index is not published by SSA for public use, but is made available by commercial entities using information from SSA records. We do not offer support of these commercial products nor can we answer questions about the material in the Death Index.)

Other records potentially available from SSA include the Application for a Social Security Number (form SS-5). To obtain any information from SSA you will need to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request."

I guess I don't understand how these commercial sites are getting the info. It seems that the SSA must be releasing the info to them.

I agree with you, tonybell, in that the info should remain private at least for a certain length of time after a death.

I believe that census info is kept private until 72 years after the census date. The 1940 will be available in 2012.

After thinking about this, it seems to be that SSN's should also be private for a long time after the death, too.

Again, tonybell, I am very sorry for the loss of your father.

tonybell_57

Thanks, buckeyesue. I guess I wouldn't be as concerned if they restricted it to members of their Church, or people affiliated with their Church.

I could see releasing the info after 10 years or so. I think it's ridiculous to release it in less that a year.

Again, thanks for your condolences.

dlq04

It is not difficult at all to get. Death certificates are 'public' records and the person's SSN is on it.

gomarlins3

Yes, I think it is wrong that these are so accessible and I don't see why the Church needs to put these out there for people that ARE NOT members.

raymo19

I'd like to add ours too. I know how tough that can be.

Zippy

The point of the site is to trace relatives, but fraud, especially credit card through identity theft is rampant among the deceased. This allows for easy access to the one thing that is used as identity by almost everyone.

Tony, sorry for your loss, my +1 is going through settlement of her mother's estate at this time.