NCISS Fighting Death Master List Restrictions

Recently, Ancestry.com and related websites have stopped displaying Social Security numbers in the Social Security Death Index. The SSN information was dropped following correspondence from four US Senators who requested that the sites not include complete SSN information. The Senators cited their belief that SSN's are obtained from the sites by criminals using the information to commit identity thefts. For over a decade, professional investigators have utilized this free service to determine or confirm the death of a missing person subject.

NCISS has written Ancestry.com's President and Chief Executive Officer to urge him to restore the display of Social Security Number information to the site's Death Master List data. The correspondence from NCISS points out that in fact, the SSN information assists businesses to determine that credit applicants are not using information from deceased individuals. We also list the other uses of such data, such as assisting in determining whether lost heirs are alive.

Several bills are also pending in Congress that would limit access to the Death Master List. NCISS will also work with congressional sponsors of the pending legislation in an effort to maintain access to this valuable investigative tool. Congress is currently in recess. The Senate returns on January 23 and the House a week earlier.

The NCISS Legislative Committee will update you as we continue to take proactive measures to restore and protect continued access to the tools our members and colleagues rely on when conducting investigations.