Is there a free way to locate people's Social Security numbers using their names?

Most Social Security numbers of living people are masked for privacy purposes, but companies such as Accurint, TLO, KnowX and LocatePlus do maintain private databases of name-linked Social Security numbers. Social Security numbers can also legally be found on public domain court records, death records and professional licensing records.

The Social Security number of a deceased person can be located in the Social Security Death Index on some ancestry websites. The U.S. government's Social Security Number Verification Service can be used to verify that a number and name match the government's records. This service is often used by employers to screen new employees and avoid incorrect information on tax documents such as the W-2.