The holiday season is no stranger to criminal activity, and certain crimes
actually increase in frequency during this time. On this blog, we look
at three crimes that occur more often during the holidays.
Identity Theft
A lot of holiday shopping has moved online. Every year, more people choose
to avoid crowded shopping malls or retail stores and purchase their gifts
at their convenience online. Hackers also increase their efforts to invade
your computer during this time, knowing a lot of sensitive information
moves online. As a result, viruses, spyware, and other malicious software
starts spreading quickly.
If you are doing any online shopping, be sure to sweep your computer with
a virus or spyware scanner before entering any sensitive information.
Likewise, always be sure that the site you are purchasing anything from
is legitimate. Skilled scammers will often create websites that
look like a major website, but will in fact steal your sensitive information.
Burglary
The holidays is a time for travel for a lot of people, who may leave to
visit family, friends, or even to visit a snowy ski resort. This is a
prime opportunity for burglars to commit home-invasion robberies with
the lowest chance of getting caught.
Remember the burglars from
Home Alone? They scouted a neighborhood in an old plumbing van to determine which
families were gone on vacation and scout their targets. While this does
still occur, today’s burglars tend to track social media posts to
find who’s away from home. Be careful what you post; you could be
telling a potential burglar that your home will be unoccupied for an extended
length of time, making it a prime target.
DUI
The holidays are filled with celebrations and parties, often involving
alcohol consumption. This means a number of intoxicated drivers, and increased
presence of officers looking to get them off the roads. If you plan on
attending a holiday party with family, friends, or co-workers, be sure
to plan ahead. Either travel with a designated driver or get a ride over
to your party. The cost of an Uber or Lyft fare pales in comparison to
the costs associated with a DUI charge, or the expenses if you cause an accident.
If you are arrested this holiday season, you should not face your charges
without the assistance of a skilled Modesto criminal defense attorney. At the
Law Offices of Mark W. Girdner, our team has demonstrated substantial legal acumen in many cases, earning
an extensive record of successful cases. Attorney Girdner is a former
Deputy District Attorney, an experience that makes him familiar with the
processes and arguments of a prosecutor, allowing him to create individually-tailored
and hard-hitting defense cases.
Call the Law Offices of Mark W. Girdner today at 209.326.1533 for assistance,
staring with a
free initial consultation!