Have you lost a loved one or are you searching for a missing person who has run away from home? If so, you may find by SSN (Social Security Number) recent or past contact information, phone numbers and addresses that will help you in locating the individual.

Information You Can Find by SSN

When armed with someone’s SSN and last name, you have access to the ultimate piece of identification provided by the federal government. Though the federal Privacy Act prevents access to much of the information in someone’s Social Security records to help lower the threat of fraudulent use of an identity, you may still access more general information found in the individual’s background report.

The search results by SSN and last name include name which can be used to search and get current, previous addresses, phone numbers and even criminal records such as arrests and warrants.

Using Information You Find by SSN and Last Name

You may contact relatives to try to reach the person you’re searching for, or visit the last known address to determine if they still live there today. If the records you find by SSN and last name lead to a seemingly dead end, you can still use the last known information to give you a starting point for your investigation; now you know where they last lived and worked, what their likely financial situation was, and who they were associating with.

Private search sites offer the ability to use multiple databases to search for information concerning a specific SSN, saving you time and money by streamlining this process for you.

Reverse SSN

Although per the federal Privacy Act you may not simply request someone’s Social Security Number (SSN) from the federal government, you can conduct a reverse SSN and last name search. This type of search requires that you have access to an SSN and last name, but may not know who it belongs to or how to reach the person it identifies. A reverse SSN search may be necessary if you suspect someone of fraudulently using a SSN or giving you a false SSN. Reverse SSN searches will notify you if the SSN used belongs to a deceased individual or other alias as well.

Information Revealed with a Reverse SSN Search

When you search by SSN and last name, you may find that it belongs to a deceased individual or someone with another name. Verification of a SSN is available through the Social Security Administration (SSA), a vital service to employers and businesses everywhere. This verification ensures that you are hiring legal workers and streamlines your wage reporting process to the federal government to provide for the correct benefits assigned to someone in the future.

A reverse SSN search uses information found in the results to reveal addresses, phone numbers, possible criminal records. You may use this information to track someone down if they are missing by simply visiting the addresses, calling the relatives or even contacting other associates to see if they have any forwarding information on an individual.

Using a private investigative site or service streamlines the reverse SSN search process by utilizing multiple databases, ensuring complete results and saving time and effort in the meantime.

SSN Records

SSN records, or Social Security Number records, are maintained by the federal Social Security Administration (SSA). These identification numbers are used for everything from provide Social Security and disability benefits, pay taxes and request credit history reports.

The SSA is verifying an SSN, reporting wages, signing up for electronic access to your own benefits records, and applying for benefits. From this site, you may also download and complete an application to receive a new Social Security card in the case that you have lost it or changed your name after marriage. Businesses find this site useful when hiring a new employee, as you can verify someone’s Social Security Number and report their wages easily.

Applying for Benefits

If you are a survivor or have become disabled, your or the deceased’s SSN records including past years’ taxes may be found online. In order to claim survivor’s benefits, you must report a death and apply for them. The amount of benefits varies according to the relationship to the deceased and the past earnings of him or her. Disability benefits require that verification of your disability be submitted with your SSN records.

If you are trying to access SSN records for yourself or someone else that you have the legal ability to represent, you may do so through the SSA site. Private sites may allow you to access information about benefits that someone is receiving, utilizing several databases across the country.

Information Provided by a SSN Search

When you conduct a search by Social Security Number, you’ll be able to access the general information found at the header of a person’s credit report without them knowing. This information is commonly used by private investigators and other companies to determine how to track someone down. Addresses, employment information, recent credit inquiries and some negative credit information such as bankruptcies or tax liens are provided in this header.

If you have been given a number belonging to a deceased individual or someone who has flagged their report for fraudulent activity, this information will also be returned to you.

Reasons to Search by Social Security Number

If you are an employer, you may verify a SSN through the SSA’s website. If you are a landlord, you may want to conduct a preliminary credit check on a potential tenant. In addition, you may simply be searching for a missing individual or someone who you have business to conduct with. The address information found in these credit report headers will usually point you in the right direction to find the individual for nearly any reason, or you may contact other creditors to inquire as to whether they have additional contact information for them.

Verify SSN

If you are an employer of any kind, you need to verify SSNs (Social Security Numbers) for a variety of reasons. These include that you must determine that they are able to work in the U.S. legally, you have the correct information for wage reporting and W-2 record creation, and that the employee’s records are correct in order to calculate his or her Social Security benefits.

How to Verify SSN Records

In order to verify SSN information, you must first create an online account with the SSA. The Administration allows you to verify up to 10 SSNs at a time, and many employers use this option to check several new hires at once. Larger batches of up to 250,000 can be returned within one business day, and allows employers to check everyone on their payroll in this manner if they desire.

Ensuring you verify SSN information is important for both you and your business. Verification ensures you do not have any illegal workers on your payroll, protecting you from legal recourse from the government. This process is also important to ensure your wage reporting is precise, providing correct records and benefits that the employees may claim at a future date.

You may also verify SSN information using a private website that checks across multiple databases simultaneously. In addition, this can provide past employment and credit information that exists under that SSN.