Social Security Background Check

Evelyn Sanderson - April 30, 2024

Background checks are an integral part of the hiring process. Pretty much every job you come across will require some type of background check; it doesn’t matter if you’re looking for something simple or complicated, people want to know who they’re hiring.

For this reason, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of background checks and how some types of background checks work. This can help you prefer them as an employee and it can also help employers choose the right background check processes.

For the purpose of this article, we’ll be covering a Social Security background check. This type of background check is also known as an SSN background check, and its purpose is to verify someone’s identity using their Social Security number. Read on to learn more about SSN background checks and how you can prepare for them.

What Is a Social Security Background Check

A Social Security background check is a useful part of the identity verification process. Most companies will do more than a basic SSN background check but this is usually the starting place. That said, these checks are useful for determining if a Social Security number is valid and that can help you connect it to someone’s identity.

However, Social Security numbers aren’t the end-all-be-all for identity verification. In fact, it’s a misconception that an SSN check verifies someone’s identity completely because that’s not exactly what it does. Instead, it verifies the legitimacy of a Social Security number, which is about as close as you can get to identity verification.

What Information Is Available on a Social Security Background Check

Social Security background checks are purely to help people verify someone’s identity. Whether you’re running one as an employer or an individual, you can expect to find some basic information about an SSN. Some information you’ll find includes:

• Whether or not the Social Security number is valid
• Information about the applicant’s address
• Any recent history of someone’s address or address changes
• Any associated names that someone; maiden names, nicknames, and known aliases
• When the Social Security number was issued
• Information from lending companies
• Information from schools

Most companies, schools, and government agencies will run this type of background check to verify that a worker is eligible to work for them or attend their school. The penalty for employing people who can’t be employed can result in expensive fees or even jail time.

How Far Back Does a Social Security Background Check Go?

A Social Security background check can go back 3-10 years. Factors that influence how far it can go back include how often someone changes address because addresses go back 10 years but someone might only have had a credit card for a few years. The age of a person can also determine how far back a Social Security background goes.

Why You Should Run a Social Security Background Check

There are a handful of reasons to run a Social Security background check. Most reasons have to do with identity verification, but you can also use an SSN background check as a starting point for a criminal records search.

Therefore, it’s worth it to use an SSN trace as the first state of a background check whenever you’re interviewing a new candidate. Learn more about some of the reasons to run a Social Security background below.

Identity Verification

Identity verification is a big one. Everyone who’s a citizen is assigned an SSN at birth. As someone enters the workforce, pursues an education, or takes out a loan, records of those actions are tied to that SSN.

So, when employers run an SSN check they can verify education history, employment history, and even someone’s credit history. While it won’t show everything, it’s a great place to start when you want to verify someone’s identity.

Finding Old Names

People change their names for all types of reasons and knowing their previous name can help you expand your background check. For example, someone might change their name due to marriage, but there can still be records associated with their maiden name.

People may also change their names due to adoption, creating a new identity through immigration, or even just to change their name.

Context for Criminal Records Searches

A Social Security number is tied to someone’s address. If someone has moved around a lot over the last seven years an SSN will reveal any of their addresses. Due to criminal records being based on the state where the crime occurred, knowing that someone lived in different areas can help you get a more accurate criminal records search.

If you discover that someone has lived in different locations, we recommend using our criminal records search tool. It will give you a comprehensive full report of their records for every state in one place.

Complete Address History

Unfortunately, applicants may forget to put all of their addresses on a background check. While people may be hiding addresses purposely, it’s also possible that people may leave out addresses from a long time ago.

If you want the most complete address history you can use a SSN search to find all of their previous addresses. If they’re hiding anything this is the best way to uncover it because you can go 10 years in the past.

Uncovering Fraud

Fraud is a major problem, especially with Social Security numbers. People steal other people’s identities for all sorts of nefarious reasons. Furthermore, people may even use fake Social Security numbers or Social Security numbers from people who have passed away. When you run an SSN check you can uncover fraud almost immediately.

How You Can Run a Social Security Background Check

There are a handful of ways to run a Social Security background check. That said, the two best options include using our public records search tool and the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) online verification service.

Both options are viable but we always recommend using our public records search tool first because it gives you a more comprehensive report about someone’s background.

Social Security Administration’s Online Verification Service

One of the best tools you can use is the Social Security Number Verification Service. It’s an online tool that allows you to enter someone’s Social Security number and run a search on them.

If you’re looking to verify your own information you can use this tool for free to verify your records. Unfortunately, employers have to use the consent-based Social Security Number Verification Service (CBSV). This tool allows employees to verify someone’s SSN against other SSN records to ensure that everything matches.

In order for employers to run this type of search they must have consent from the employee using Form SSA-89. You can also use this form when using other search tools because it states that an employee is consenting to the background check process. However, you’ll need additional consent forms for driving records or financial records searches.

Information.com’s Public Records Search Tools

When it comes to verifying someone’s identity, we have you covered. We pride ourselves on bringing you current and accurate information in only a few minutes.

While we can’t run someone’s SSN for you, we can help you verify their identity without the risk of getting duped by a fake Social Security number. In fact, our online public records search tool can be more accurate than an SSN search because we cross-check someone’s identity with millions of public records databases across the United States.

To get started, all you need is someone’s name. When you run a search with us, you can find the following Information:

• Full name, relatives, maiden name, and other aliases
• Addresses
• Social media accounts
• Phone numbers
• Criminal records
• Sex offender status
• Court records
• Marriage and divorce records
• Dating profiles
• Email addresses
• Credit history
• Driving records like a DUI

Essentially, we allow you to find out if someone is who they’re claiming to be and we take it a step further than a basic SSN verification. In fact, our public records search tool can help you run any type of background check you want.

Just make sure you have consent before running a background check on potential employees. Running a background check without someone’s permission is against the law and can result in legal problems, fees, and even possible jail time.

Run a Social Security Background Check With Information.com Today!

Running a Social Security background check is a great way to verify someone’s identity. While the process isn’t perfect, it can help you make sure the information someone says about an SSN matches the records for that SSN. Unfortunately, using the consent-based SSN service can be expensive, and it doesn’t always verify someone’s identity properly.

Thankfully, we have your back with our public records search tool. All you have to do is enter someone’s name, address, and state to get started. Once you run the search you can open their full report to discover anything that’s a public record to verify their identity.