1. Gift card fraud:

Thieves will often target gift cards that have been left unattended or unsecured. They may also try to guess the PINs on these cards to access the funds. To avoid this type of fraud, be sure to keep your gift cards in a safe place and never give out the PIN to anyone.

2. Pickpocketing:

This is especially common in crowded areas such as shopping malls during the holiday season. Be sure to keep your valuables close to your body and be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone acting suspiciously, moving away from them is best.

3. Package theft:

This is another type of theft that occurs more often during the holidays. Porch pirates will target homes that have packages delivered to them, either taking the package outright or opening it and stealing the contents. To avoid this, consider having your packages delivered to a secure location such as a workplace or a neighbor’s house.

4. Car break-ins:

Thieves will often target cars that are parked in public areas or even in driveways. They may smash a window to gain entry or open an unlocked door. To avoid this type of theft, keep your car locked and never leave valuables in plain sight.

5. Home break-ins:

Unfortunately, home break-ins can also occur during the holidays. Thieves may target unoccupied homes or easy access (such as an unlocked door or window). To avoid this, keep your doors and windows locked at all times, even when you’re home. And be sure to set your alarm system if you have one.

6. Identity theft:

 Identity theft is a serious problem that can ruin your holidays, and it’s important to be aware of the risks. There are several ways that thieves can steal your identity during the holiday season. One common method is called “skimming.” This is when thieves attach a device to an ATM or credit card reader that captures your card information. They can then use this information to make fraudulent charges to your account.

Another way thieves can Steal your identity is by “phishing.” This is when criminals send out fake emails or texts that appear to be from a legitimate company. These messages typically ask you to click on a link or provide personal information such as your Social Security number or credit card number. If you respond to these requests, the thieves can use your information to commit fraud.

Only use secure websites when shopping online to protect yourself from identity theft this holiday season. Look for the https:// in the URL and ensure a lock icon is next to it. This indicates that the site uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption to protect your information.

You should also never click on links in emails or texts from companies you don’t do business with. And never provide personal or financial information in response to unsolicited emails or texts. Finally, ensure you have a strong password for your online accounts and use a different password for each account.

The holidays are a time for joy and celebration. But they’re also a time when thieves are on the prowl. By being aware of the most common types of holiday theft, you can help keep yourself and your belongings safe.

The fact is that shoplifting is an offense committed by people from all walks of life. A congress candidate has recently been accused of shoplifting over 250 items from a Target store. Allegedly, she was caught attempting to leave the store with merchandise without paying for it. She is now facing felony-level charges.

Leaving a retail store with unpaid merchandise is only one of the many acts considered shoplifting in Utah.

Let’s look at the most common ways you can shoplift in Utah:

Five Common Ways of Shoplifting in Utah

Switching Prices

Some shoplifters will “pay” for the item they’re shoplifting by ringing up at the register, but they find a way to avoid paying the full price of the item. Price switching is a common way of doing this.

As the name implies, price switching happens when the shoplifter exchanges the price tag on the shoplifted item with a less expensive one.

In practice, you didn’t “technically” steal anything, but this act is still thought of as shoplifting because of the attempt to deprive the merchant of full payment of the item’s value.

Changing Packaging

This is very similar to Price Switching. Some shoplifters will change an item’s packaging by placing a more expensive item in the packaging of a less expensive item.

Changing an item’s packaging is very risky as most stores now have security cameras and can catch you switching out the packaging. You won’t know until you’ve been watched until you approach the register.

Concealing the Item

This is by far the most common form of shoplifting, but what most people misunderstand is that a person doesn’t have to necessarily have to exist the store with unpaid merchandise for them to be detained for shoplifting.

If you’re even caught concealing any item in your personal belongings, it is considered shoplifting in Utah.

Leaving without Paying

This is when you successfully leave a store with an unpaid item. The problem with this is that it’s no longer possible since most retail items now contain a hidden electronic monitoring device. They are no longer prominent, bulky dye tubes, so, miss one and on your way out, you may trigger a detector. So, plan on being detained by store security and charged with shoplifting once the police arrive if you attempt to do this.

Employee Theft

It’s already cumbersome enough for retail stores to deal with customer shoplifting, but employees can sometimes do the same. An employee can also commit all the previous actions, and it is also considered shoplifting.

These are only the most common ways you can commit a shoplifting offense in Utah. If you are charged with shoplifting, contact our attorneys today to have someone highly qualified to represent you and, most importantly, defend you against this felony.

What can happen if I am charged with a theft-related crime?

The ramifications of your arrest are going to relate directly to the specifications. In general, the more items were stolen, and their larger monetary amount will result in more severe charges. It is essential to realize that prosecutors may combine the total value of stolen items for a harsher charge. Take, for example, this hypothetical situation where someone has stolen dozens of items from various people. This includes things like cell phones, purses, wallets, cash, and various electronics. On their own, the value of these items may one result in several misdemeanor charges. However, their value may constitute a felony charge when combined, because the total is over $1500.

Other ramifications for shoplifting and more

Often, judges will impose criminal restitution, meaning that the stolen items’ value will have to be given back to the victim. These sanctions can also be set for shoplifting crimes in retail locations. This number is based on their traditional retail value and may accompany mandatory jail time as part of the punishment. This restitution is not forgiven in bankruptcy, and failure to pay this back can result in more charges.

Finding the right larceny defense attorney

Many possible defenses can be used against a larceny charge in Utah. This is because many specifications must be met for the charge to be considered larceny. For example, the theft must be intended as permanent, so if you planed on returning the stolen items, it might not be considered larceny. If you have taken an item that belongs to your spouse, it may be regarded as misappropriation of marital property instead. There may also be questions in terms of consent and entrapment. This is why it is so important to speak with a theft defense attorney in Salt Lake City. If you have been charged in Utah, call The Ault Firm at 801-987-8409 to speak with a legal professional and schedule a case review.

Petty theft

Petty theft is the criminal act of taking something that’s valued is equal to or less than a specific dollar amount, where the item’s value is less than the threshold amount. To be convicted for petty theft, the prosecutor must first convince a jury or a judge of these following reasons:

– The victim did not agree to the taking.

– The defendant intended to claim ownership of the victim’s property permanently.

– The property was taken away from the victim.

– The victim of the crime had a possessory interest in the item taken.

If charged with petty theft, the accused can be facing up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The sentence is relative to your previous record, as repeat offenders will be handled more extremely than a first time offender.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Grand Theft

A general rule of thumb is if you steal property that is over $950 in value. This is a more severe offense of stealing property. The prosecution can charge it as a misdemeanor or a felony. As a felony, the accused can face up to 3 years in state prison.

Shoplifting

Shoplifting is similar to petty theft; however, it refers to store merchandise. This implies all previous requirements to convince the court if the accused is charged with shoplifting along with:

– The accused exited the store without paying for the merchandise. No matter what the intention, moving the merchandise outside the store is enough to be considered shoplifting.

– Another form of shoplifting is altering or removing price tags. This intent to take money from the merchant by attempting to pay less is also theft.

– Bringing items outside of security parameters like into a private bathroom, could also be considered shoplifting as you move products outside of the store.

Shoplifting can lead to a sentence of up to one year in jail and a relatively small fine of about $500. As stated with the previous theft charges, the sentence will depend on the misdemeanor class and the existence of prior convictions.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]