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What to Know about Retail Fraud
Over the past several years, the Internet has made a huge impact on society. Online shopping has been made possible, as there is more convenience from buying products from a laptop or phone. Since there has been more of a convenience with online shopping, retail fraud has been on the rise, and companies, especially those that are online, are trying to find ways to avoid fraud.
Retail Fraud and How It Affects Society
By the end of 2017, the main driving forces of fraud included international transactions and mobile wallets, which are considered to be examples of newer payment options. During the holiday season, fraudulent returns were the biggest concern of companies, as retail return fraud may cost companies at least $15 billion.
Even with the strongest cybersecurity, it is still hard to verify an online shopper’s identity. There tends to be a lull between the time that the order has been placed and when the transaction is confirmed. The lag can be grounds for more retail shopping errors and fraudulent activity.
Rental and Real Estate Scams in Chicago
What Is a Rental or Real Estate Scam?
A rental scam often happens when an individual is trying to sell his or her property online and is contacted by another individual who seems interested in the property. When both parties agree on a set price, then the offender may send a check to the other party to deposit, covering housing expenses.
Methods of Rental or Real Estate Scams
The check will often be written for an excess amount, and the offender may ask for the rest to be sent back. The check may also be written for the exact amount, and the offender may change his or her mind on the rental agreement and ask for a refund. The individual trying to sell or lease the property has access to the funds, believing that the check has cleared. Once the check is found to be counterfeit, this individual has liability by the bank for all financial losses.
What Is Tax Evasion?
Tax season is about to come to a close, and many of us are hurrying to get our taxes filed before today's deadline, the last day of the 2018 tax season. While most of us have either used do-it-yourself (DIY) tax preparation platforms, others have relied on accountants or certified tax professionals to better assist us. Unfortunately, there are some individuals who fail to report certain incomes or documents on their tax return, which could lead to serious consequences.
Definition of Tax Evasion
Tax evasion is when a taxpayer misreports his or her income, credits, and deductions on tax returns, or if the taxpayer does not file a required tax return. Not everyone goes to prison for tax evasion; however, if the taxpayer conceals his or her assets and income that should be used to pay back taxes, more serious consequences may follow.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will mainly look for unreported income, false statements, and deliberately hidden records for criminal investigation.
Insurance Agent Fraud
Insurance is very important to have, especially for home, auto, and life. Anything can happen to you, such as a car accident, a house fire, or sudden death. Even though most insurance agents can be trusted, the insurance industry can still be grounds for potential fraud schemes.
Types of Insurance Fraud on the Agent’s End
Over one trillion dollars in premiums are collected by thousands of insurance agencies every year. Because of how big the insurance industry is, there is much opportunity for fraud to occur. The cost of insurance fraud on the agent’s end amounts to over $40 billion every year, and the average American family ends up spending between $400 and $700 in the form of increased premiums.
The most common fraud schemes that insurance agents may commit include but are not limited to:
- Premium diversion;
- Fee churning;
How Can Identity Theft Affect Another Person’s Credit Score?
Identity theft is a very serious crime that can come with unwanted consequences. This type of crime may destroy your life, as you may spend time in jail, pay hefty fines, and even lose future employment opportunities. As for the other person affected by identity theft, he or she may experience in a lowered credit score and may lose all other forms of credibility.
Consequences of Identity Theft on a Person’s Credit Score
If a person has been affected by identity theft, then he or she may experience a harder time applying for credit cards and loans. If a person committing the crime applies for a credit card or any other type of loan using the other person’s name, the chances are very good that he or she will never pay off the balance, or the thief will never make the payments on time. One missed payment on a credit card or loan can easily drop a person’s credit score by over 100 points.
What Is a Job Offer Scam?
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;
What Is Health Care 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;
What Is Sexting?
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.
The Effects of Heroin
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.
What Is Car Insurance 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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