Justin Lavelle

Justin Lavelle is the social media director and blogger for BeenVerified.com. He is based out of Northern Virginia.

Holiday Gift Returns: How to Protect Your Identity

Justin Lavelle

January 2, 2019

The holiday season is behind us and gift return season is ramping up. You may have already been concerned about identity theft while doing your holiday shopping, but you might want to hold onto that caution if you’re returning unwanted gifts. Return fraud is a huge issue in retail, and in an effort to protect themselves, stores will often request a driver’s license or government ID for returns without a receipt.

How Might Jeff Bezos' Divorce Impact His Wealth?

Justin Lavelle

January 18, 2019

When a couple files for divorce, one of the first and foremost issues they’ll need to address is how to split up their assets. This question becomes a lot more complicated when you and your spouse are the richest couple in the world. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife Mackenzie recently announced their pending divorce after 25 years of marriage. Bezos’ estimated net worth is around $137 billion — and according to the community property laws in their home state of Washington, his soon-to-be ex-wife is legally entitled to half of it.

How to Find and Delete Your Old Social Media Accounts

Justin Lavelle

January 25, 2019

Most people, especially those of the generations that grew up with social media, have a digital past they’d rather erase. Think Myspace (your “Top 8” is likely not the same now), Tumblr accounts (including all of the emo song lyrics you reblogged after that high school breakup), or embarrassing old Facebook photos (like the ones from wild college parties). If you’ve outgrown your old social media accounts, you may feel like it’s time to delete them.

How to Try and Find Out If Someone Is In Jail or Arrested

Justin Lavelle

January 10, 2019

If you’re familiar with Dirty John, you might think it seems far fetched and there’s no way it could happen to you. The popular podcast and newspaper series is based on a true story, and recently it was turned into a Bravo TV series. The “John” of the story met a woman named Debra Newell through a dating site, and seemed like a perfect gentleman, but he was hiding a sinister past.

Tax Season Identity Theft: Scams to Watch Out For

Justin Lavelle

January 23, 2019

Tax season is approaching quickly, and over the next couple of months, individuals and businesses across the country will be filing their tax paperwork with the IRS. Unfortunately, this also means it’s prime season for anyone looking to steal personal information or swindle people out of their tax refunds. Tax scams for the purposes of identity theft have been common for decades, but as technology evolves, so do the scams. Taxpayers – and the IRS itself – lose millions of dollars every year to these schemes, so it’s important to understand what’s out there.

They Did What?! 12 Things You Can Find Out About Almost Anyone Online

Justin Lavelle

January 4, 2019

Ever wish you could learn all about someone upfront and in advance, so you know if it’s worth it to pursue a friendship, relationship or roommate arrangement? Well, you can’t find out everything – but with the right online tools, you can uncover a lot that a simple Google search won’t tell you. Search a person's history and background check With the help of a background check service like BeenVerified, you can instantly search public data to learn more about anyone, from a long-lost relative to your new romantic partner.

Took a DNA Test? 4 Things You May Want to Do When You Get Your Results

Justin Lavelle

January 16, 2019

Consumer DNA tests are one of the hottest trends right now, with 23andMe boxes lining Target’s end caps and Kelly Ripa promoting Ancestry.com. It’s a pretty amazing concept: Spit into a tube and get a wealth of information about your ancestral history and family lineage. Once your results are uploaded into the provider’s database, you’ll have access to a network of other individuals with similar genetic markers. These people could be second, third, fourth cousins, half-siblings, or even biological family members you didn’t know you had.

Top Craigslist Scams of 2018

Justin Lavelle

January 17, 2019

Online scammers are more prolific than ever these days. Although the public is aware of these scams, fraudsters are only getting smarter and more sophisticated in their use of technology to carry out their schemes. Craigslist in particular has earned a reputation as a place for scams, and for good reason: countless fraudsters are trying to trick users out of their money. Here are some common Craigslist scams and how to spot them, so you can reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

Which U.S. Counties Have the Most Millionaires?

Justin Lavelle

January 3, 2019

The top 1 percent of the United States’ wealth might be right around your corner, but you might not know how or where to find them. You could start with this list of U.S. counties with the most millionaires from CNN Money — and as the data shows, California and the southern part of the country are the places to be if you want to live close to America’s wealthy elite.

You May Want to Check Your Background Search Results Before That Next Meeting or Interview

Justin Lavelle

January 11, 2019

It is to be expected that people meeting for the first time will often do some due diligence beforehand, whether the context is dating, business proposals or otherwise. Prospective employers are no different, researching job candidates before extending an offer, whether it be to call and check references listed on an application, or use a FCRA-accredited, compliant service like Goodhire.com. So before planning that next meeting or beginning your job search, in addition to updating your portfolio, powerpoint or resume, it’s probably prudent to see some of what others may learn when researching you.

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Justin Lavelle

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