We talk a lot about identity theft in this country. According to a study done by Javelin Strategy and Research, identity theft in the U.S. rose to a 3-year high in 2012. Based on a survey of 5,249 people, more than 5% of the adult population or 12.6 million people were victims of this kind of theft. According to the IRS, during the first six months of 2012 there was a 62% increase in the number of identity theft cases that they were able to detect.
With tax season in high gear, it’s important to remember not to just throw important personal information into the recycle bin outside your house, but to shred all your financial documents! Research studies show that many thieves start their illegal behavior by dumpster diving. Furthermore, be cautious about who you are sharing your credit card information with. Make sure you do it through a secure connection and that the web address begins with “https” and shows a locked padlock in the address bar. And, according to Kaspersky, be aware of cybercriminals who are targeting taxpayers on Facebook. Never click on a tax related message in the newsfeed because it often directs the user to a phishing website.
Other big tips for this tax season include don’t ever Email the IRS. This is the most popular way that hackers are getting into the information of potential victims. The agency doesn’t send email to contact taxpayers, so don’t respond! And lastly, don’t save your tax documents on your hard drive. Instead put them on a CD that is stored in a safe place.
These cybercriminals could use a 16-hour theft awareness class! Theft classes teach individuals how to control these illegal impulses and gain empathy for the victims. People who steal often feel a sense of excitement about the execution and become addicted to the “high”. It’s easy to fall into a pattern until the law gets involved. Often these same perpetrators feel a sense of shame and depression after they have committed the crime and are almost hoping to be caught.
Theft and shoplifting classes teach students how their minds think and how to overcome the behavior. Using a psycho-educational approach, experts and licensed clinicians help individuals to learn skills in stress management, emotional intelligence and communication in order to prevent the behavior from reoccurring.
The most educational and convenient way to learn to stop stealing is to take the program online. A high quality online course offers cutting edge data and treatment skills that can be learned from a web-based computer in the comfort of your own home. Online theft classes are designed to fulfill the courts requirements and have a high national success rate of acceptance. It is suggested that the client gets prior approval from the judge, probation officer or court system to make sure that they will accept an online class. If so, the client does not need much computer skills. You simply go to the website and register for the length of class you need. Once you are registered, the class becomes available on your computer screen. Clients scroll through and read information and take short quizzes along the way.
Upon completion a Certificate of Completion is sent to you. This document has your case number and proves that you successfully fulfilled the court mandate. You can also download a copy if you need to show it to the court immediately.
If you have been caught for a theft offense, take an online theft class to fulfill your educational requirement. You will be pleased with the convenience, affordability and new skills you will have for the rest of your life!
