Thousands of names, Social Security numbers and birth dates accidentally are released to the public every year by the U.S. government.

The information is in the Social Security Death Master File, made public by the Social Security Administration and designed to include only deceased people. The file is widely available on the Internet and is known as a go-to resource for identity thieves.

The master file erroneously adds information for about 1,000 living people every month, apparently due in part to data-entry mistakes. Information from living people was documented in the file by government watchdog reports as far back as 2008.

Still, the problem continues, according to the Social Security inspector general.

“These errors can have serious consequences for the affected individuals,” Inspector General Patrick P. O’Carroll Jr. said during a recent congressional hearing. “That personal information can be used to obtain loans or credit, to apply for government benefits or to assume a new identity.”