NBC4 – An effort to stop web sites from giving out Social Security numbers of those who have died made progress this week.

NBC4 first reported on the Thomas family in May 2011. Samantha Thomas was an infant when she died from sudden infant death syndrome in 2010. While her parents were still mourning her death, they found out that someone had used her SSN on their taxes.

NBC4 stepped in, confirming that a branch of popular web site Ancestry.com was listing the full Social Security numbers of those who have passed on. It’s a way for criminals to get information fast.

Sen. Sherrod Brown started a congressional investigation into genealogy web sites after the story was aired.

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/nov/29/senators-support-effort-remove-social-security-num-ar-845421/