Well it seems the IRS is doing something about the fraud - http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=253147,00.html?portlet=108 That's a good thing. Lisa > -----Original Message----- > From: Ann Ellen Barr [mailto:ellen@barrfinancial.com] > I certainly agree with your comment. The IRS seems to be able to do > anything they truly WANT to do. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: cook-co-il-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:cook-co-il- > bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Lisa Lepore > Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 7:07 PM > To: 'Lorac'; cook-co-il@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [COOK-CO-IL] SSDI situation explained please? > > Here's the short version - > > The social security data comes from the social security administration > records, which come from deaths reported to the social security > administration. > > The data file is called the US Master Death File. This index is produced > by the National Technical Information service of the US Dept. of Commerce. > It's primary use as I understand it is to prevent fraud. > Financial institutions use it to verify that a person opening an account or > borrowing money is not using the ss# of a dead person. > > Companies like Ancestry.com can also purchase this data. The product is > expensive, and there are as you know regular updates which must also be > purchased. The fact that ancestry.com removed the ssdi from rootsweb was a > business decision on their part. It may or may not be related to the > current goings on. > > The paid ancestry.com does have the SSDI, however, they have removed the > social security numbers. > Familysearch.org still includes the numbers and that is a free site. > Familytreelegends.com still includes the numbers, and is free, but it looks > like the data only goes through 2003 AmericanAncestors.org still includes > the numbers, and is free. This is the website of the NEHGS. > > pay sites: > Genealogybank.com has removed the numbers worldvitalrecords.com has removed > the numbers > > There are a few things going on with SSDI. First, the social security > administration decided not to release the parents' names on the SS-5 forms > that you can purchase from them, if the the deceased person is younger than > 100. > > Now there is a hearing tomorrow to remove the ssdi from the public. This > is an outcry caused by some criminals who apparently filed fraudulent tax > returns using the ssn's of deceased children. > > My question is why doesn't the IRS have a plan in place to prevent such > fraud? > > Go to http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/ > put ssdi in the search box and you will get lots of links and more > information. > > > That's it in a nutshell, > Lisa > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: cook-co-il-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:cook-co-il- > > bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Lorac > > Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 11:46 AM > > To: cook-co-il@rootsweb.com > > Subject: [COOK-CO-IL] SSDI situation explained please? > > > > I hope someone can set me straight on the SSDI situation. On this > > website tis a.m. > > > > http://searches.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ssdi.html > > > > I found that you can no longer search. But, I also read on another > > list that PAID Ancestry will have it. > > Since Rootsweb is owned (?) by Ancestry and the House Ways and Means > > committee have not yet met, how does Ancestry (PAID) still will have > > the SSDI data? How/why does the government sell our data to a private > > company and they in turn sell it to us? I am not talking about the > > original applications, just the INDEX....who paid for the index? > > > > I've been off list for a while, so if all of this has been hashed out, > > someone please give me a short run down on what is happening... > > > > Carol > > > > > > > > > > ----- > 7. Re: A little OT: SSDI Access ( jazzdans@comcast.net ) > > > 8. Re: 1940 census clarification (Eliz Hanebury) > > > > > > Message: 7 > > > Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:09:06 -0800 > > > From: " jazzdans@comcast.net " <jazzdans@comcast.net> > > > Subject: Re: [COOK-CO-IL] A little OT: SSDI Access > > > To: " Kathleen Craine " <kac522@aol.com>, cook-co-il@rootsweb.com > > > Message-ID: <201202010308.q1138qQT024214@mail.rootsweb.com> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > > > > > Gf > > > > > > Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone > > > > > > ----- Reply message ----- > > > From: "Kathleen Craine" <kac522@aol.com> > > > Date: Mon, Jan 30, 2012 5:14 pm > > > Subject: [COOK-CO-IL] A little OT: SSDI Access > > > To: <cook-co-il@rootsweb.com> > > > > > > I received this message from another list. The House Ways & Means > > > Committee will be reviewing public access to the SSDI. > > > > > > Kathleen Craine > > > Chicago > > > > > > -------------------------------- > > > > > > I feel the need to sidestep our usual communications and make sure > > > that all of you are aware of the issues we are facing about our > > > right to > > access > > > the SSDI - Social Security Death Index. As genealogists, I'm > > > guessing > our > > > 2 most often used tools are the census and the SSDI. Due to concerns > > about > > > identity theft, our government now thinks that a key way to fix this > > > problem is to deny the public's access to the SSDI. > > > > > > Many of us first became aware of this when we read an article by > > > Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak "Are We Going To Lose The SSDI?" > > > http://megansmolenyak.posterous.com/are-we-going-to-lose-the-social- > > security-deat > > > > > > We've now learned that the Ways and Means Committee is holding a > > > hearing on the SSDI this Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. > > > http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=27 > > > 6834 > > > > > > NO genealogists are being allowed to be witnesses and testify at > > > this meeting! > > > http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Soc/soc.genealogy.jewish/201 > > > 2- > > 01/msg00346.html#.TyVbv31zUsc.twitter > > > > > > It is VERY important that we all start writing letters and submit > > > them > to > > > the Ways and Means Committee! In the link above about their meeting, > > > if you go down the page, you will find an area about how to submit > > > your letters to them. Follow the directions to the letter! > > > After you've submitted your letter to the above committee, please > > > also figure out who your Senator(s) are and send them a copy of your > > > letter > > > http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm > > > and > > do > > > the same with your Representative(s) > > > http://www.house.gov/representatives/ . The Senator and > > > Representative websites have searches on the top right to help you > > > figure out who represents you. (If possible, please send a letter or > > > a fax. A pile of papers on a politicians desk is going to have a > > > greater impact than a bunch of e-mails in their inbox. E-mailing is > > > better than doing nothing > > at > > > all, but if possible, don't have it be your first choice.) > > > > > > If you need some ideas for things you can put in your letter, check > > > out this list from RPAC