> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://tools.osintnewsletter.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://tools.osintnewsletter.com/osint-tools/beenverified.md).
# BeenVerified
| **BeenVerified** | **Quick Overview** |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| URL | |
| What it does | Aggregates public records and commercial datasets to provide people-search, phone lookup, email lookup, address lookup, and background research capabilities. |
| How to use it | Search using a name, phone number, email address, username, or address and review the results. |
| Cost | Paid (limited previews may be available). |
| Account required | Yes - to receive results. |
| Cookies | Functional, analytics, and advertising/tracking cookies. |
| Ownership | Founded by Josh Levy and Ross Cohen in 2007 and headquartered in New York. |
| Use in Reporting | Useful for generating leads, identifying connections, and corroborating information. |
### What does BeenVerified do?
BeenVerified pulls together data from public records, commercial databases, and online sources to create searchable profiles on people and businesses. It's designed to help users quickly find contact details, address histories, relatives, social media accounts, and other associated records from a single search.
**The lowdown:** It simplifies the process of locating publicly available information about individuals.
### How to Use:
**1. Search using a person's name, phone number, email address, username, or physical address.**
**2. Review the profile results, associated records, historical information, and linked individuals (usually requires a paid account).**
\
Alternatively, you can use the people directory tool for free results as below:
**3. Verify relevant findings through original public records, official databases, and independent sources before relying on the information.**
**Note:** Online sources note that whilst results aren’t always accurate, it’s a more reliable tool than similar tools such as Truth Finder.
### Cost
* [ ] Free
* [ ] Partially Free
* [x] Paid
You can sign up for a $1 or $5 trial but note that to cancel your subscription you must call or email rather than simply cancel by the click of a button.
## Data Processing
### Account Required:
* [x] Yes
* [ ] No
### Cookies:
The site uses functional cookies for site operation and user preferences, analytics cookies for visitor measurement, and marketing/tracking cookies from advertising partners such as Teads. Third-party services including Bing and advertising networks may also set cookies for personalisation, attribution, and advertising measurement.
### Use in Reporting
Been Verified is useful for:
* Subject identification.
* Contact discovery.
* Historical address research.
* Relationship mapping.
* Preliminary background investigations.
* Lead generation during OSINT investigations.
| **Capabilities** | **Limitations** |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Conducts people searches using names, numbers, emails and physical addresses. | Primarily focused on U.S. records, with limited coverage outside the U.S. |
| Identifies possible relatives, associates and household connections. | Information may be outdated, incomplete, or contain inaccuracies. |
| Provides historical address & contact information where available. | Results can generate false positives, especially for those with common names. |
| Performs reverse phone and reverse email lookups. | Does not provide access to private, confidential, or protected records. |
| Aggregates info from multiple public records/commercial data sources into a single searchable profile. |
|
### Summary
BeenVerified is a popular people-search platform, particularly useful for identity resolution, contact discovery, and preliminary OSINT investigations. While it can uncover valuable leads quickly, investigators should treat results as starting points and verify important findings through authoritative sources.
### Ownership
Been Verified is a privately-held company founded by [Josh Levy ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmlevy/)and [Ross Cohen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosscoh/) in 2007 and headquartered in New York.
### Ethical Considerations
* Respect privacy and data protection laws when researching individuals.
* Avoid using information for harassment, stalking, discrimination, or unlawful surveillance.
* Understand that aggregated records may contain errors or outdated information.
* Verify findings before publication, reporting, or decision-making.
* Consider the potential impact of publishing personal information, even when publicly available.
* Use the tool only for legitimate investigative, research, or due diligence purposes.
### Related Tools:
* TruthFinder
* Whitepages
* [192.com](/osint-tools/192.com.md)
* PeopleFinders
* FastPeopleSearch
#### Sources