United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-11-08 monographic deposited born digital 10 p. GA 1.13:GAO-02-233T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-233T P0b002ee180394e04 f:d02233t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-233T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-233T GAO-02-233T Computer crimes Fraud Law enforcement Information resources management Terrorism Computer security Electronic data interchange Social security number Statistical data SSA Death Master File SSA Master Beneficiary Record SSA Numerical Identification File SSA Electronic Death Registration System Testimony A02446

Congress, law enforcement, and others have recently expressed concern over the misuse of Social Security numbers (SSNs). Accurate and timely death information, including the SSN, is critical to the integrity of the federal benefits system and can help protect consumers' financial assets against fraud. However, the SSN is a key identifier used to steal identities, obtain false identification documents, and commit fraud. Death information collected by the Social Security Administration (SSA) generally reaches financial institutions and other entities within one to two months of a person's death, although delays in processing and distributing information sometimes occur. SSA and the National Technical Information Service could improve the timeliness of the distribution of the Death Master File. Improving the timeliness of death information to the financial services industry would help to narrow the window of time that a criminal has to open new accounts using a deceased individual's identity. Additional education for the financial services industry about the availability and contents of the Death Master File would also be helpful. Providing timely death information and making financial institutions more aware of a reliable source of such information could deter criminals from using deceased individuals' social security numbers to obtain false identities for fraudulent activities. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-233T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-233T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-233T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-233T.pdf GAO-02-233T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-233T Testimony GAO-02-233T; Social Security: Observations on Improving Distribution of Death Information; Computer crimes Fraud Law enforcement Information resources management Terrorism Computer security Electronic data interchange Social security number Statistical data SSA Death Master File SSA Master Beneficiary Record SSA Numerical Identification File SSA Electronic Death Registration System Title 42 Section 405 42 U.S.C. 405