Posted on March 28, 2018 in Fraud

After the beginning of the New Year, many employers are starting to hire new employees to help their companies grow. For everyone who is looking for a new job, it is very important to take extra precaution when applying online, since there are many internet crimes that are disguised as job offers. Internet crimes are a very serious offense which can cause undesirable consequences against the person who is accused of the crime.

The Characteristics of a Job Offer Scam

At first glance, the person affected may have a difficult experience in determining whether a suspicious job offer is legitimate or a scam. Many characteristics of a job offer scam include, but are certainly not limited to:

• The job offer is too good to be true;
• Vague job requirements and job description;
• Unprofessional emails;
• Online interviews via instant messenger or other means of social media;

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 Posted on March 21, 2018 in Fraud

There are times when we all need to seek assistance for our health issues. Whether we have a virus that will simply not go away, or if we have a serious illness such as cancer, there is such a great feeling that we can trust our health care professionals and providers. For over 10 years, there have been changes to health care. However, during this period of time, there have been many incidents where health care fraud occurs, and it is very important to understand what constitutes as health care fraud.

Methods of Health Care Fraud

Most of the time, health care fraud is committed by a minority of health care providers who are not honest. Unfortunately, health care fraud destroys the reputation of physicians and healthcare insurance companies. The most common ways for health care providers to commit fraud include:

• Billing for health care services or procedures that were never rendered;

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 Posted on March 14, 2018 in Sex Crimes

In today’s society, the media tends to glamorize crimes and sexual activity. What the media fails to consider when addressing these issues is that, in reality, there are many legal ramifications to these types of activities. One common issue that has been addressed is the act of sexting, a sex crime that could lead to serious legal consequences, including your future employment opportunities, time in jail, and the potential of having to register as a sex offender.

Definition and Statistics of Sexting

Sexting is defined as the method of sending nude or half-nude photos by cell phone or other electronic devices. In other words, sexting is considered to be a sexual text message. The act of sexting is very common among teenagers, who are driven by hormones and curious about sexual activity. Even though as many as one out of five teenagers have been involved in some form of sexting, many teenagers involved do not know that sexting is a crime.

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 Posted on March 07, 2018 in Uncategorized

Heroin has been argued to be one of the most dangerous drugs used in today’s society. Being in possession of heroin can cost you your overall quality of life, including future employment opportunities, positive relationships with family and friends, and your health. There are many named physical effects of heroin use, both short-term and long-term, which can cause many health problems in the future.

Short-Term Effects of Heroin Use

There are many short-term effects of the use of heroin, including a “rush,” or a surge of pleasurable sensation, depressed respiration, clouded mental functioning, nausea and vomiting, and suppression of pain. During the “rush,” the abuser may experience a warm flushing to his or her skin, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, and severe itching.

The abuser will typically experience drowsiness for several hours, as his or her mental and heart functions are slowed. The abuser’s breathing can also be slowed to the point of being life-threatening, potentially leading to a coma and permanent brain damage.

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 Posted on February 27, 2018 in Fraud

Car insurance is a necessity for all licensed drivers. This coverage can save a driver financially in the event of a car accident. Even though car insurance should be one of the biggest priorities of a driver, there have been far too many incidents where insurance fraud was committed. Insurance fraud is a very serious criminal offense that can lead to undesired consequences to the offender.

Types of Insurance Fraud

Car insurance fraud is defined as any form of deception against an insurance company to gain financially. Insurance fraud is illegal in Illinois, and there are at least five ways that insurance fraud can occur, such as vehicle dumping, false registration, exaggerated repair costs following a car accident, faulty airbag replacement, and faulty windshield replacement.

Vehicle dumping is when the offender tries to dispose of the vehicle by burning it, leaving it somewhere, dumping it in a lake, or selling a car and reporting it stolen.

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 Posted on February 20, 2018 in Criminal Defense

When someone thinks of a gang, he or she may think of urban youth participating in drug crimes and homicides. While this is often true, gangs may also consist of motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, hate groups, crime groups organized by adults, terrorist organizations, and other types of security threat groups. No matter the type of gang, the activities the group may participate in may count as violent crimes that could come with very serious consequences.

What Is a Gang?

There are two different definitions of a gang: the federal definition and the state definition. While the federal definition of a gang is used by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the state definition of a gang varies by each state. The federal definition of a gang is an association of at least three individuals who:

• Collectively identify themselves by adopting a group identity to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, which could include a common name, slogan, sign, symbol, tattoo, style of clothing, and hand sign, to name a few;

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 Posted on February 13, 2018 in Hate Crime Statute

Hate crimes are a very serious offense, which could cost you your overall quality of life. When faced with a hate crime, there are many unwanted consequences that could decrease the chance of obtaining employment and relationships with loved ones. Hate crimes can be violent in nature, and can cause serious injury or even death to others.

What Is a Hate Crime?

Hate itself is not necessarily a crime. However, a hate crime is defined as any type of crime, such as murder, arson, or vandalism, but with an added element of bias. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a hate crime is when a person commits a criminal offense against someone else or other property due to the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, gender and gender identity, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Hate crimes have a devastating impact on families and communities, and individuals who commit such crimes are perceived to promote hatred and intolerance. Every year, the FBI investigates hundreds of cases that relate to hate crimes.

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 Posted on February 06, 2018 in Drug Crimes

The majority of people know that illegal drugs can be especially harmful to their bodies. Being charged with a drug crime, such as possession of cocaine, is a very serious offense, which can have an adverse effect on your future employment opportunities, relationships with loved ones, and your health, to name a few. To be better educated on the negative effects of drugs, it is best to understand how drugs affect your body.

What Is Cocaine and What Is Its Effects on the Body?

Cocaine is an illegal drug that can be snorted, smoked, or injected. Within seconds, this drug will affect the brain and major organs. When cocaine is used, the user’s pupils will dilate due to increased serotonin levels in the brain. The user’s heart rate and blood pressure will increase, and the blood vessels will constrict, making the user start to feel warm. As the arteries constrict, blood flow may be blocked and could potentially cause a heart attack to occur.

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 Posted on January 31, 2018 in Identity Theft

We are now approaching tax season, and many of us are not looking forward to getting them filed. Over the past few years, since the evolution of technology, the number of people affected by identity theft has increased, and that number, unfortunately, continues to grow. Identity theft has been shown to affect tax documents and pertinent information, and individuals filing their taxes during the season may face serious issues because of the type of theft that had occurred.

Ways the IRS Has Tried to Combat Identity Theft

To combat the ever-growing issue of identity theft and how it can adversely affect tax information, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) created a way for individuals to be better protected from identity theft. This tool was called the Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN), and, in 2016, the IRS suspended the tool because of a potential security breach. The IP PIN was supposed to be used for individuals affected by identity theft and fraudulent tax returns so that they could have their own personal identification number (PIN) that would confirm their identity before a tax return would be filed. The tax return would be rejected if the PIN was entered incorrectly.

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 Posted on January 24, 2018 in Sex Crimes

Sex crimes are horrific in nature and can cost the person committing the crime and the person affected by the crime severe consequences. What many people do not know about sex crimes is that there are many myths attached. No incident of a sex crime is the same, and each person who commits this crime has a different mindset and way of committing the act. However, being charged with a sex crime is serious and may come with unwanted consequences.

What to Know about Sex Crimes

There is a huge misconception that most or all sex crimes are committed by strangers. While this may be true in some incidents, most sex crimes are committed by a family member, friend, significant other, spouse, or other trusted individual. Although most males are held accountable for sex crimes, females have also been responsible for these types of crimes. Even though there may be some children who have been sexually assaulted will grow up to sexually assault others, the majority of offenders were not sexually assaulted at a young age.

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