Posted on January 17, 2018 in Computer Crime

Cyberstalking has been an ongoing issue for many years. With the evolution of the Internet and overall technology, there have been easier ways to target specific social groups using media. In January 2018, cyberstalking has become a hate crime, which may lead to serious consequences if an individual is caught cyberstalking and targeting certain groups.

What Is Cyberstalking?

Cyberstalking is defined as when a person uses electronic communication, such as email, text messages, and social media, to direct a specific person or target group, causing the target to fear for safety or suffer from emotional distress. Cyberstalking could also be defined as when a person uses electronic communication to cause a threat of potential bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement, or restraint of threat. Cyberstalking often causes enough emotional trauma that would allow for the person on the receiving end to fear for his or her safety.

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 Posted on January 10, 2018 in Uncategorized

Being charged with possession and use of illegal drugs is very serious and could cost you your overall quality of life. However, if you are in possession of illegal drugs in the workplace, whether in retail or corporate, there is major cause for concern. You may lose your job, and you may also lose all possibilities of future employment. Not only will you suffer the consequences, your employer may lose thousands of dollars to increased health care, legal liabilities, worker’s compensation costs, and lost productivity.

What Can Illegal Drugs Cost the Workplace?

Of the estimated 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs, roughly 70 percent of those users are employed. Marijuana, cocaine, and prescription drugs have been found to be the most widely used drug in the workplace, and employees who have held at least three jobs within a five year time span have been found to be at least twice as likely to use illegal drugs as their counterparts, employees who have had two or fewer jobs within the same time span.

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 Posted on December 29, 2017 in Domestic Violence

Domestic violence and sexual violence is often perceived to be interchangeable. Sexual violence can occur by an otherwise trusted family member, spouse, or significant other at home. However, domestic violence and sexual violence are very distinct with different consequences.

What Is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is defined as the occurrence of when a partner or family member abuses another person physically, emotionally, financially, or sexually. The violence may occur only once, but is normally behavior that is repeated.

What Is Sexual Violence?

Sexual violence is defined as the occurrence of when a person is sexually abused. Many different forms of sexual violence include, but are certainly not limited to, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, prostitution, genital mutilation, and rape. Like domestic violence, sexual violence may also occur in a single incident or may be repeated over time.

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 Posted on December 22, 2017 in Federal Crimes

As there are more and more people looking to buy homes, and technology is always evolving, the mortgage fraud rates have increased significantly. People are buying homes with the assumption that there will be no issues that follow. However, there are far too many people who must face foreclosure because of the fraud that took place.

Mortgage Fraud in the Numbers

In the second quarter of 2017, there have been an estimated 13,404 mortgage applications estimated to have indications of fraud. Compared to the second quarter of 2016, the mortgage application fraud risk index has increased by 16.9 percent. Many people argue that the continued shift from the refinance-heavy market to a purchase market is a major factor in the increase of mortgage fraud risk. From the second quarter of 2016, there was also a 48 percent increase in loan shares originated through wholesale channels.

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 Posted on December 15, 2017 in Drug Crimes

For many years, drugs have had a negative impact on society, which is a huge cause of injuries, illnesses, and even deaths. Every day, over 50 people die in the United States from a prescription drug overdose, and over 120 people die every day from overall drug abuse and overdose. Unfortunately, the statistics of the use of illegal drugs have increased for over seven years, and there have been alternatives to street drugs.

Drug Overdose Death Statistics

Chicago is well-known for its massive crime scenes and drug busts. In the urban areas of major cities, drugs, violence, and injuries often coincide. From the years 2007 to 2014, prescription drugs, cocaine, and heroin have caused thousands of deaths that could easily have been prevented.

• In 2007, prescription drug overdoses accounted for 19,601 deaths. Four years later, in 2011, the number of deaths caused by overdosing on prescription drugs increased to 22,810. In 2014, the number increased to 25,760 deaths caused by prescription drug overdoses.

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 Posted on December 08, 2017 in Uncategorized

Sexual assault, a long-time societal problem, can occur anywhere: at home, at work, on campus, in a public setting, and even in the military. Not only does sexual assault negatively impact the person affected, but also the person committing the assault. The person affected by sexual assault may suffer emotionally and physically, while the person committing the assault may face life-changing consequences.

Types of Sexual Assault and Violence

Sexual assault and violence comes in many forms, even though the emotional hardships and unwanted consequences still follow. Several types of sexual assault include, but are not limited to:

• Forced intercourse;
• Attempted rape;
• Forcing the person affected to perform sexual acts, including oral sex or penetrating the offender’s body; and
•  Fondling or sexual touching.

In most cases of sexual assault, the offender and the person affected know each other, which occurs in about seven out of 10 cases. However, there are other instances where the offender and the person affected do not know each other. There are several forms of this type of rape, such as:

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 Posted on November 29, 2017 in Fraud

The use of the Internet has evolved greatly over the past five years. We frequently use social media to interact with our family and friends. During the long Thanksgiving weekend, we are likely going to use the Internet to go ahead and pay for our Holiday gifts for our loved ones. Even though the use of the Internet is typically harmless, there is always a possibility of having to deal with an Internet crime, which can negatively impact the lives of both the offender and the person affected by the crime.

Statistics on Stolen Information Over the Internet

In 2013, about 7 percent of American organizations lost over $1 million from an Internet crime. 19 percent of all American organizations lost at least $500,000 as a result of an Internet crime. For individuals, there was an average loss of $3,000 per Internet crime complaint and a total loss of over $781 million in the same year. Here is a breakdown of the losses:

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 Posted on November 22, 2017 in Identity Theft

Whether someone discovers a credit card account has been opened up under their name that they never applied for, or find out their card number has been stolen and used for purchases they never authorized, dealing with any form of credit card identity theft is very troublesome for victims. It can be especially upsetting when the theft is discovered later on, after some time has passed, as the crime has, at that point, had time to accumulate and wreak significant damage on the victim’s credit report and accounts.

How Does Loss Liability Work?

Credit card crimes are not only distressing for the victim, they also wield the power to severely damage the reputation and livelihood of those found responsible for the acts, as they are seriously prosecuted under federal law.The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends victims of credit card theft report the crime immediately, as The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) offer a certain amount of protection. For example, under the FCBA, victims of fraudulent charges are only held liable for up to $50 in charges. For fraudulent transfers, however, the longer the victim waits to report the theft, the greater the risk they will be held liable for the loss - money they can never get back.

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 Posted on November 14, 2017 in Fraud

The holidays are just around the corner, and people are now starting to plan their holiday shopping strategies. Since shopping has become much more popular on the Internet, many people are resorting to purchasing their holiday gifts online. This has become so common, that people are not always aware of what could be at stake with their credit card. Far too often credit cards are compromised because of hacking activities on the other side. There are many people affected by credit card fraud, and the numbers keep increasing with the massive use of the Internet.

“Friendly Fraud” and Its Consequences

Also called a chargeback, friendly fraud happens when a consumer purchases a product online or on the phone and he or she receives the product ordered, plus a refund from that person’s bank. Since people receiving refunds from their bank tend to use that money with no thought about being scammed, friendly fraud has grown significantly.

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 Posted on November 08, 2017 in Drug Crimes

In Illinois and the United States, drugs have always been a societal problem. Even though drugs still negatively affect many lives today, there has been a massive change in the use of drugs over the past several years. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), there has been a sharp increase in drug seizures for certain types of drugs, and a decrease in other types.

Overview of Drug Arrests in the United States

The number of arrests made for the use of drugs has slightly increased from 2006 to 2015. As of now, there is no supporting data for the years 2016 and 2017. For the years 2007 and 2008, the number of arrests has decreased, but then the number has gone up in 2009 and has stayed around the same number.

• In 2006, there was a total of 30,691 arrests for drug use;
• In 2008, there were 28,607 arrests;
• In 2011, there was a total of 32,530 arrests; and

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