Find Address by Social Security Number for Free: Your Complete Guide

Cindy Ellis - April 11, 2023

Your social security number (often abbreviated as SSN) is a highly personal piece of identifying information. If you are looking for someone else’s address or other important personal information, you may be wondering if you can utilize their social security number for your search. We’re here to tell you that this isn’t a good idea and give you more information about the importance of keeping your social security number private.

Below, our article discusses what your social security number is used for, if you can find an address with a social security number, and how to avoid common social security number scams.

What Is a Social Security Number?

A social security number is a personal identifying number that the United States assigns to every U.S. citizen. This number is used to identify individuals for the purposes of receiving government benefits, such as social security or disability, and you are commonly asked to provide your social security number as an identifier when opening a bank account, taking out a loan, or applying for certain jobs and opportunities.

Because your social security number is very much tied to your personal information, it’s important to keep this number private.

If this number falls into the wrong person’s hands, it’s very easy for them to commit identity theft or other types of fraud using your personal information. This only creates further problems in the future as you work to control the damage and find out whether or not other things have been compromised.

Is It Legal to Utilize Someone Else’s Social Security Number?

It is not legal to utilize someone else’s social security number, even if you are related to them, and you cannot legally search for information using someone else’s social security number. For that matter, you should also not search for items using your own social security number, as typing it into the internet or other suspect search tools may result in your SSN being stolen.

Every individual’s social security number is private, and using an SSN that belongs to someone else will likely land you in legal trouble. Don’t trust any online service or website that offers to provide you access to other’s social security numbers, and don’t input your own social security number into online tools or websites for your own safety and privacy.

Can You Find an Address With a Social Security Number?

A person’s current residence address will often be connected to their social security number, as this is the type of personal identifying information that the SSN helps to track. However, you cannot find an address, either your own or someone else’s, using only a social security number to search.

Obtaining someone else’s SSN would be illegal, and searching their number or your own number increases the risk of identity theft and other types of fraud. Make sure that you don’t trust websites offering you personal information reports in exchange for a social security number. These are almost certainly scams designed to gain your personal information.

If you are searching for addresses that are connected with your own social security number, you can get started by searching documents that would contain this information. Tax records and personal documents, such as banking documents, are a good place to start tracking down your exact social security number and any addresses that have been connected to that SSN.

Handling Your Social Security Number Business

When it comes to your social security number, you should only be handling business regarding this number or your SSN card directly through the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA). On this agency’s website, you will be able to request a new social security number card, request a new SSN if you were never assigned one, or report your SSN stolen.

It’s important to only input your social security number information and accompanying personal information, such as your full legal name and address, into the official government websites and forms. This decreases your chances of accidentally being a victim of fraud.

If you want to change the address connected to your social security number or find more information about the address that your social security number identifies, you should also contact the SSA for more information. There are easy ways to email or call this agency directly. If you receive a call claiming to be from the Social Security Administration that reports problems with your account, be aware that this is likely a scam attempting to gain your information.

Avoid Social Security Number Scams

Social security numbers are one of the most sought-after pieces of information when it comes to scams. This is because, as we mentioned above, they are highly personal identifying numbers and provide a significant amount of information on a person.

With someone else’s SSN, you can open bank accounts or credit cards in their name and cause significant harm to their credit reports. It’s important to stay aware of scams targeting your social security number, and that you know how to spot scams that are after your personal information, your SSN, or your finances.

Signs that indicate you are dealing with a scam include the following:

• You receive a call or email from an unknown or withheld number that claims to be from a government agency, such as the SSA, or from your bank.
• The person on the phone claims there is a problem with your information, but they are vague about it. They won’t answer questions or go into detail; they simply insist and act urgently about the matter.
• The email you received was sent from a suspicious email address or the email address doesn’t match with the company or service they are claiming to be from.
• The person you are speaking with on the phone is pushing you for information, such as your social security number or bank account number, and they won’t take no for an answer.
• The person on the phone or the email you received is requesting payment for fees or other services in the form of gift cards.

Of course, there are many other types of scams that you might encounter. Our list is not comprehensive for all the scam situations you might notice, but it is a good thing to review when you are concerned about whether or not a phone call or email you’ve received is legitimate.

For more details about social security number scams, check the Social Security Administration’s scam protection information.

Keeping Your Personal Information Secure

Your social security number is highly personal, and it’s important to keep your personal information secure. If your SSN or other personal information is accessed by others, you may end up dealing with serious issues and unfortunately end up a victim of identity theft.

While you can’t search for an address with someone’s social security number, or your own SSN, you can utilize the Social Security Administration for assistance. The SSA can help you replace your social security number card, request an SSN, and find out which personal information, including addresses, are connected to your social security number.

And remember, be careful about where you share personal information like your SSN. The more secure you keep these details, the more protected you will be from identity theft, fraud, and scams.