Here’s an identity theft story that might make you think twice about using online tech support companies. Recently a friend’s computer crashed due to a virus. In an attempt to fix the problem immediately rather than waiting until the next day to take it into a reputable business, he called a tech line 800 number for immediate service for his Dell computer. The service agent answered and discussed the situation with him. He diagnosed that his technician could definitely fix the problem with access into his computer and asked for a credit card number to hold onto to charge for costs upon completion. The customer was hesitant to give out his credit card number without the computer being fixed, but was anxious to move on. The agent guaranteed that nothing would be charged onto the card until the computer virus was successfully destroyed and the computer back in working action.

Needless to say, the technician couldn’t fix the problem over the phone and our friend’s credit card was not only charged for service, but than used for other fraudulent purchases internationally. Thankfully, American Express alerted him immediately and the card was cancelled and all charges will be disputed. All of this to remind readers never to give out credit card numbers to a company that you are not completely familiar with. As frustrating as it is to realize, you must constantly protect your personal information, even if it means waiting until the next day to get something crucial taken care of.

If you have learned the hard way that stealing items, personal property or personal information will land you with legal consequences, take a theft class online to fulfill court mandated theft education requirements. Online theft classes are available from any web-based computer device like a PC, laptop, Ipad or Smartphone. The judge will generally tell you what length of course he would like you take, depending on the severity of the charge. Then get his or her approval to take a distance learning class instead of having to attend a traditional bricks and mortar classroom program.

Taking a theft diversion class online from a licensed and practicing psychotherapist and expert in the field will benefit you in many ways. The course content is designed to fulfill court orders so the material is generally the same, if not more current, than you would find in a live classroom. Online classes are affordable and save the client the additional cost of gas to drive to the classroom.

Theft classes online are designed for people of all ages and you don’t need sophisticated computer skills. Simply pull up the homepage and register with the class that meets the time length you need. Once you register, the class becomes immediately available on the Internet connected screen in front of you. Then go ahead and take the course at your own pace, logging in and out whenever it’s convenient for you. Another benefit is that you can get this requirement done in a timelier manner than having to wait for a one-hour class, once a week. For example, the client can take a 10-hour theft class in one weekend if necessary to meet a court deadline, rather than waiting 10 weeks.

It’s a win-win situation for the legal system and theft offenders. The education taught is relevant, effective and interesting and the offender gets to learn it all in the relaxed atmosphere of his/her own home!

Has it ever occurred to you that your air conditioner unit on the side or back of your home could be a potential target for thieves? Every homeowner considers that the house could be broken into, so we do our best to lock doors and windows, put important items in safes and maybe even install an alarm system. Generally, besides the car parked in the driveway and a bike left unlocked, the other items around the home don’t seem to be of much value or are too difficult to take off with. The patio furniture is just too large and a bit faded.

Well, thieves in Muncie and in Delaware have been arrested for the theft of air conditioning units from at least 2 businesses and homes in the area. The units are cut from the electric power supply, removed and loaded into SUVs. Police believe that they are then dismantled and parts can be sold for about $100.00 per unit. Three suspects in Delaware were recently charged with theft, criminal mischief and other related charges. They are being held on about $10,000 bail. There’s no doubt that once convicted, these individuals will be court ordered to learn some empathy and better decision making skills in a Delaware theft education course.

These thieves probably thought that home owners insurance would cover any damages the homeowners endured and that they could make a clean get away in a quiet business area or suburban street. Unfortunately for them, witnesses saw the thieves load the items in the back of a Jeep Liberty. In Muncie, one of the homes actually had surveillance footage that caught the faces of the criminals!

Online theft and shoplifting classes are definitely in their future. These courses are a comprehensive and easy way to learn new skills to change and stop illegal behavior. Clients of theft diversion classes learn how their behavior impacts society and what the risks and consequences are of future arrests. They are educationally based classes that teach how to understand impulse control disorders, why people steal and ways to prevent this behavior with stress management techniques and improved communication skills.

Online classes are an extremely convenient way to fulfill this court order after a theft conviction. Clients can access the course from any computer that is connected to the Internet. This includes PCs, IPads, Smartphones and laptops from home; the library, the local coffee shop or anywhere there is Internet availability, anywhere in the United States. People really like the freedom of being able to learn at their own pace and whenever they have free time. There is no predetermined schedule. Clients can login and out as many times as they’d like until the class is completed.

Online classes give clients the ability to finish the class quickly to make a court deadline. Specifically, traditional theft classes held in classrooms usually meet once a week. If you have to take a 10-hour class, it could take you 10 weeks. However, a 10-hour class online can be finished in one weekend if so desired.

Taking your court mandated theft class online is definitely the most interesting, affordable and stress free way to fulfill the legal requirement.

This is my daughter’s senior year in high school. She’s a straight A student and has already received acceptance into the college of her choice. She’s not the kind of kid I generally need to worry about so we give her a lot of freedom. This weekend she must have left her common sense at home because she was out with a group of kids going to the movies and they were caught shoplifting! I was in complete shock when we got the call from the police department. I mean, that just isn’t our child. We immediately went to go pick her up at the local police department and she was hysterically crying. All she could think about was if this incident was going to affect her getting into college.

Her side of the story was that they were waiting for their movie time so they went over to look in a store to pass time. Two of the girls that were with them, she doesn’t usually hang out with. Those girls were standing with my daughter when they pocketed some jewelry that was displayed on a rack. Immediately, the manager and another employee closed in on them and took them all to the back office where they found the jewelry in the girl’s pockets. Now even though my daughter didn’t have anything on her, the manager was furious and called the police on all of them. The police told her that they were citing her for shoplifting because she was a part of this group.

We’ll see what the judge has to say about all this. I understand why the store manager came down on all of them because he doesn’t know who was really behind it all. We’ll explain to the judge that she has a perfect track record to date, is a great student and didn’t actually take anything. In the meantime, I’ve decided to make her take a 4-hour theft and shoplifting class. Hopefully this will show the judge that we are on the situation, and teach her some skills to improve her decision-making. I understand that she was just an innocent bystander, but it can’t hurt to really drive home why this behavior is completely unacceptable.

This will be great learning experience for her and taking an online class will enable us to stay at home instead of having to drive her to a traditional classroom. Why put more pressure on us because of her mistake? She can login and out of the class each night when she’s done with her homework, or on the weekend. There’s nothing to print out, so she can even use our Ipad and sit in a comfortable chair to scroll through the course. I’m not looking to torture her, but to educate her on the impact of theft on our society. We understand that peer pressure is difficult, but she needs to learn ways to get out of an uncomfortable situation like this one without worrying about what others will say. She also needs to learn the consequences and risks of shoplifting if she’s ever caught again. This might be the information she needs to give her the confidence to walk away from a group of losers who are participating in this behavior.

All I can say is that I’m glad this happened before she left for college so we could be there for her. It’s up to us as parents to give our kids the tools they need to succeed. I think giving her the opportunity to take this theft class will be life changing.

Thieves on municipal transportation need to take a California Theft Class! Recently, The SF Chronicle reports that theft on municipal transportation has taken off. Apparently there have been 161 reports of items stolen from passengers during the time period of October – December 2012. This compares to just 88 reports during the same period the year before. Robberies increased by almost 39%.

If you take a look around, you’ll notice that many people around us are walking around with Smartphones, or some kind of tablet. Even the elementary school kids coming out of the local public school can be spotted getting on their Iphones or Samsungs to get in touch with their ride. In the tech-friendly Bay Area, it’s a thief’s amusement park. The Municipal Transportation Agency reported 399 cell phone thefts near Muni stops in 201 and reported that half of all robberies in the city were related to electronic devices. These products are particularly desirable because they are small, easy to grab and easy to re-sell.

The SF police force recommends that people use their phones sparingly when walking around town or using public transportation. And, keep them deep in your pocket. As always, be aware of your surroundings to help keep yourself and your personal items safe.

Individuals caught for cell phone theft will be charged with larceny and can expect punishments that include financial restitution, fines, and community service work. To further add to the list of repercussions, many jurisdictions also mandate that thieves take theft education classes. The purpose of taking such a class is to teach individuals how to alter and improve their judgment and decision making skills so they will think twice about ever committing this crime again. Courses teach perpetrators to take personal responsibility for this behavior, how this behavior affects society as a whole and victim awareness.

An increasingly popular way to take a shoplifting or theft class is to take it online. These classes are available from any of the 50 states, and from any computer device that is connected to the Internet. There are many benefits to taking such a class online, which include:

1) You can take the class any time of the day or night

2) You can stay at home

3) You can go at your own pace

4) You can start and stop at any point during the class

5) You don’t have to miss any work or school to complete the class

6) You have complete privacy

7) You will save yourself time and money by not having transportation costs or commute time

After you have finished the course, a certificate of completion will be sent to you via regular mail for no extra cost. This is the official documentation that proves to the court that you successfully accomplished the class. Clients can also download the certificate for immediate use or pay extra for overnight shipping.

Take an online theft class to get this situation behind you in a timely manner. You will find the experience interesting, educational and extremely easy!

Flash mobs have been a growing trend across the United States over the past few years. This is basically a publicity stunt in which a group of people suddenly assembles to perform an act for a brief amount of time. Some flash mobs get together to dance or sing generally for the purpose of entertainment and to draw attention to themselves. The participants generally find out about the upcoming flash mob via social networking.

Unfortunately, various groups have taken this fun idea and changed it into an illegal grouping of a band of thieves. We’ve heard about instances in many cities across the country, and the problem has lately been reoccurring in NYC. In fact, a group of teenagers have assembled at 57^th street between 8 ^th and 9^th avenues and created havoc by storming, disassembling and stealing from a particular newsstand so many times that the manager has been forced to shut down in the afternoons so he doesn’t face any more destruction. The owner says that as quickly as they arrive, the teenagers are gone in a flash along with thousands of dollars of merchandise. By the time the police are alerted and arrive, they are gone.

For years authorities didn’t believe that flash mobs were a threat, but they are now focusing on this form of theft and violence more seriously. Teenagers get swept up in the moment and follow what their friends are doing even if it includes ransacking and theft. In Maryland, police recently used surveillance tape from a flash mob that resulted in theft from a 7-Eleven. They posted it on YouTube and headed to the local high school where the principal and students were asked to identify faces.

If you or your teenager has mistakenly been caught up in this behavior, a first time offender might face punishments that include fines, replacement of property, community service work and theft education classes. The purpose of having the individual take a theft class is to teach offenders why and how to improve their thinking. This kind of behavior is often the result of poor judgment and decision-making skills. Classes teach how to understand how this action is impacting society, their family and themselves. Classes also review the further consequences and risks of theft and ways to manage and stop this behavior.

The easiest, most convenient and current way to take a court ordered theft class is online. High quality courses are now offered that are designed by a licensed and practicing therapist, and anger management expert. Just check first with your judge, probation officer or court system to make sure that an online course will be accepted for court requirements. If so, all you need to do is enroll on the website at www.theftclassonline.com and choose the length of course you need to fulfill the court mandate. Once registered, the class becomes immediately available to you on any Internet based computer device. Simply read through the class, take the short quizzes and pass the final multiple-choice exam with a 70% or better.

When the final exam is passed, a Certificate of Completion is sent to you within a few days. This is the official paperwork individuals need to prove to the legal system that they fulfilled the requirement. This is an interesting and user-friendly way to get this situation behind you and to learn how to avoid this behavior in the future.