Death list for sale

The official Death Master File can be yours for $995 a year.

To order SSA Death Master File

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The official Social Security Administration Death Master File, a database of all deaths reported to the SSA, is now available over the Internet for a fee.

Today the National Technical Information Service, which offers online access to Social Security data, announced that government and commercial organizations can buy annual subscriptions, starting at $995. Organizations that buy an interactive subscription can make an unlimited number of queries in the database, NTIS officials said.

State and local governments, insurance companies and other employers view SSA's Death Master File database as an indispensable tool for verifying individual identities and preventing identity theft.

Previously, organizations that relied on their own copies of the Death Master File had to buy weekly or monthly updates to prevent the database from becoming inaccurate.

The Death Master File contains more than 65 million records. Each record includes a nine-digit social security number, name, date of birth, date of death, state or country of residence and ZIP code of last residence.

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