Tips for a Successful Graduation Party

Posted on May 12, 2023 by crystal

Graduation season is here! It doesn’t matter if you or a loved one is graduating from high school, college, or trade school, the fact a graduation is taking place is the perfect excuse for a party. Here are a few tips that will insure that you’re graduation party is fun for everyone.

Make Sure Everyone is on the Same Page

It doesn’t matter if you are the person graduating or if you’re handling the party for a loved one who is graduating, make sure everyone is on the same page. Is a party something you’re really interested in. Do you want a traditional graduation party in the back yard that lasts for hours, or would you prefer a smaller, more intimate event that simply involves going out to dinner with some of your favorite people? Make sure everyone involved in the planning process is on the same page about what they want and what their expectations are.

Start Planning Early

The biggest mistake some people make is not starting the graduation party planning soon enough. Start setting dates, sending out invitation, and deciding if you need to do things like rent yard furniture, hire a venue, or arrange for catering well in advance. It’s far better to push the graduation party back a few months than to try to throw something together at the last minute.

Formally Invite Your Favorite People

While there’s nothing wrong with posting party information on social media sites, you should also plan on sending out formal invitations. Not only do the formal invitations make it easier for people who don’t use the same social media sites as you to know about the upcoming graduation and party, forma invitations makes some people feel more special and increase the likelihood that they will come. The other perk connected to formal invitations is that individuals who get the are good about RSVPing which makes party planning easier.

Pay Attention to the Timing

Traditionally, graduation parties are held shortly after the graduation takes place, but sometimes tradition isn’t the best policy. Take a look at the obligations your family and friends have and explore whether there may be a better time, maybe a few months down the road where more people could attend and enjoy the graduation party.

The most important key to a fun graduation party is to not get so wrapped up in the idea of getting it perfect, that you don’t give yourself the time needed to really enjoy the experience.

Prevent Yourself from Becoming an Identity Theft Victim While You’re Traveling

Posted on May 12, 2023 by crystal

Traveling is something most of us enjoy and look forward too. We spend months planning where we’re going to go, deciding what we’re going to do, and trying to put together a travel budget. The one thing we often forget to consider is the possibility that we’ll become a victim of identity theft while we’re traveling.

According to NBC, in 2016 approximately 15 million Americans fell victim to identity theft, 33 percent of those episodes occurred while the person was traveling.

While there is always a risk of your identity getting stolen, there are some things you can do to lessen the odds of you becoming a victim while you’re traveling.

Keep a Digital Copy of Your Important Travel Documentation

Secure, online repositories are a great choice when you’re traveling. While you should have a physical copy of your travel documents, having copes saved in the online repository is a great backup option. Storing your documentation online does two things.

First, it limits the number of times you have to get the physical copies of the documentation out. If you need to check something, you can simply pull it up on your phone, read through the important information, and close the document. Not pulling the papers out not only decreases the chances of thief stealing them out of your pocket or purse, but it also decreases the odds of you accidentally setting them down and losing them.

Stay Away From Free Wi-Fi

As tempting as the free wi-fi at the coffee shops, hotel, and other places you go may be, you should avoid using it. The unfamiliar and free wi-fi provides hackers with the perfect opportunity to virtually break into your phone and steal your identity.

Instead of using free wi-fi while you’re traveling, use your phone’s data plan. Even if you need to spend a little bit extra to get the data you need, the money spent is still preferable to having your vacation ruined because your identity was stolen.

Take Immediate Action

As soon as you notice any sort of suspicious activity that makes you think you’ve been a victim of identity theft while you’re traveling, you need to take action. Contact your bank, your credit card companies, and even the local police. The sooner you act, the sooner everyone can make sure you have the paperwork and money needed to get back home.

What steps do you take to protect your identity while traveling?

Virtual Kidnapping in the United States

Posted on April 18, 2023 by crystal

Everyone is familiar with phone scams, dating scams, and even email scams. What you may not have heard of is one of the newer scams, virtual kidnapping. This is a horrible scam not only because it requires a great deal of forethought and planning by the perpetrator but also because it’s a direct attack on the people they love.

It’s believed that the idea of virtual kidnapping originated in Mexican prisons. The way many think this heinous scam started is that prisoners used smuggled phones to call the families of other prisoners and threatened to either kill or seriously injure their “victim” if the person didn’t pay some sort of ransom. It’s likely that the “intended target” was in on the scam. Not only weren’t they in danger, but they also received a portion of the ransom money.

Since those early days, virtual kidnappings have started to happen in other parts of the world, primarily in Spain, though there have been reports of such kidnappings in the United States. The way these work is a person receives a call or video from someone they love dearly. The person is usually in distress and swears that their life is in danger and that their loved one must pay a specific amount of money in order to secure their release.

It’s unclear how many family members fall for this scheme, partly because some genuinely believe that their loved one was kidnapped and the ransom money worked and partly because police are rarely contacted.

While virtual kidnapping hasn’t gotten much media attention in the United States, we do know that they happen. Not only has a branch of the FBI in Chicago released a statement designed to educate potential victims about virtual kidnappings, but there have been known cases of the scams in Tennessee.

In 2018, police became involved in two different cases of suspected virtual kidnappings in Laguna Beach. Both cases involved a child who told their parents that they had been kidnapped and demanded ransom money. In some of these cases, an actual family member is involved in the scam. In other instances, they haven’t been.

If you are contacted by someone who claims to have abducted a loved one, you’re advised to attempt to slow the situation down. One method for doing this is by asking to speak directly to your loved one. This allows you to confirm that part of the story.

In March 2022, the FBI released some tips to help a person identify if they are dealing with a virtual kidnapping situation. According to the FBI, signs of virtual kidnappings include the following:

The alleged kidnappers don’t appear to be in a hurry to get off the phone
The kidnappers aren’t able to provide answers that are specific to the alleged victim

The demand that the ransom be delivered via a wire service and usually request that small amounts of the ransom be sent to a variety of accounts

If you get a call from someone who is claiming to have kidnapped one of your loved ones, you should take a little time to make sure that you’re loved one is, in fact, missing. Call their employment, school, caretaker, etc., to learn if they are missing and potentially in danger.

If a person is caught in the middle of a virtual kidnapping scam, they will be charged with extortion.

What Happens if I’m Pulled Over and Have Drugs in My Car?

Posted on April 18, 2023 by crystal

The first thing you need to keep in mind if you’re using drugs, even if it’s something legal like cannabis, is that in Tennessee, DUI indicates under the influence of drugs as well as alcohol. That means that if a patrol officer suspects that you’re driving after being high on drugs, they can pull you over, issue a battery of sobriety tests, and arrest you. If the drugs you used were illegal, you could face serious drug use charges as well as a DUI charge.

If you use drugs each time you get into your car, give the interior a quick scan. Is there any drug paraphernalia in obvious sight? If so, tuck it away so no one can see it. This is an extremely important thing that needs to happen every single time you get into your car.

The reason you want to make sure any drug paraphernalia is tucked out of sight I because if you’re pulled over, and the police officer sees the paraphernalia, they instantly gain the right to search your car. While a search warrant is required for most vehicle searches, spotting some drug paraphernalia lying on the passenger seat or forgotten on the floorboards instantly gives the police something called probable cause, which allows them to search your vehicle and potentially find more drugs. Suddenly what started out as a routine traffic stop becomes a serious legal ordeal.

It’s important to note that if the officer spots drug paraphernalia in plain sight, not only are they allowed to search your car, they are even allowed to look in closed containers and under items.

If illegal drugs are found in your vehicle, you will likely be arrested. The charges you face will depend on the type of drugs found within your vehicle, how much drugs and paraphernalia were found during the search, and whether you were intoxicated. Charges you will likely face include:

DUI
Possession

It’s possible you could also be charged with the following:

Intent to sell
Drug trafficking
Manufacturing

In addition to being arrested and the potential consequences of a conviction, you also have to think about what will happen to your vehicle. The best-case scenario is that it will be towed and impounded. While this means you’ll have to pay the tow bill and the impound fees, you’ll at least have a vehicle. If the vehicle is used as evidence against you, there is no telling how much time will pass before you get it back.

If you use drugs, it’s in your best interest to keep them out of your vehicle and to only drive when you’re completely sober.

Be aware of How Dangerous Fentanyl Can Be

Posted on March 17, 2023 by crystal

The Danger of Fentanyl

When fentanyl was first starting to generate some media attention, the synthetic opioid was a good thing. It was a popular and extremely effective method to treat extreme pain. Doctors commonly prescribed it post-surgery, and patients with advanced cancer often used it to help control their pain. When used in a medical setting and under close supervision, fentanyl is a good thing.

The problem is that illicitly manufactured fentanyl isn’t used in a medical setting.

Fentanyl is extremely popular amongst the manufacturers of illegal drugs because it’s similar to heroin but even more potent. It is extremely common for heroin, meth, and cocaine to be laced with fentanyl. The addition of fentanyl enhances the effect of the other drugs. According to narcotics experts, fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin. The addition of fentanyl makes the other drugs extremely popular on the street and allows dealers to charge a premium. The problem is that fentanyl also makes the drugs more dangerous.

The CDC estimates that 150 people suffer a fatal fentanyl overdose every single day. The symptoms of a fentanyl overdose are:

Extreme nausea
Confusion
Repressed breathing
Constricted pupils
Choking sounds

If help is not received shortly after the first signs of a fentanyl overdose, the victim will lose consciousness and stop breathing. If they still don’t receive help, they will pass away. If you are near someone who has taken a suspected fentanyl overdose, calling the paramedics and dosing the victim with Narcan can help them survive the experience. According to LiveScience, Narcan is an effective treatment for fentanyl overdoses, but in 89% of the cases, more than one dose was required.

One of the reasons fentanyl is so dangerous is that some people don’t realize that they are using drugs that are laced with fentanyl or the fentanyl amount is higher than anticipated. The best way to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs is to use fentanyl test strips which are relatively inexpensive and provide results in approximately five minutes. While the test strips are highly effective when determining if a supply of heroin or cocaine is laced with fentanyl, they won’t provide you with information about other popular and dangerous additives such as carfentanil.

Should You Keep a Copy of Your Tennessee Arrest Record

Posted on March 17, 2023 by crystal

Most people would like to pretend that they were never arrested and never accused of criminal activity. They hope that if they pretend it never happened, that no one will ever learn about the incident. The understandable desire to put an arrest behind them is why few people ever stop to consider whether or not they should ask for a copy of their arrest record.

By failing to obtain a copy of your arrest record it’s possible you’re doing yourself an injustice. Not having easy access to your arrest record could damage your future.

There are several reasons you should at least have access to your arrest record.

You’re Applying for a Visa or Passport

Whenever you apply for a visa or passport, there will be a background check. If you have a criminal history or even a history of being arrested, red flags could be raised. If you’re unable to show that all of you legal issues have been resolved, it’s likely your application will be rejected.

The ability to submit your arrest record when you apply for the passport or visa means that the individual who is handling the application has instant and easy access to names, dates, and case numbers that allow them to quickly verify that you’re legal troubles have been resolved and that you’re a good candidate for a passport.

When You’re Going Into a Job Interview

Employers want to know what your history is like prior to officially hiring you. Having your criminal record handy and ready for them to look at is the best approach. Being open and upfront about your criminal history not only prevents a potential employer from being surprised when they run a background check, but it also provides you with an opportunity to present your side of the story.

Making Sure There Aren’t Any Mistakes

The biggest reason you should make sure you look at your criminal record is making sure it doesn’t contain any mistakes that could potentially harm your future. Not only do you want to make sure that all the charges and convictions on the record are actually yours, you also want to make sure that things like pardons, expungements, dropped charges, etc. are accurate.

Different Ways Social Media can get you Into Legal Trouble

Posted on March 2, 2023 by crystal

Social media is supposed to be a fun way to stay connected to your family and friends, and for the most part, that’s exactly what it is. However, as some people have found out, there are a few different ways that social media can cause you to get into some legal trouble.

Getting a Too Personal with a Follower

Many people make friend via social media platforms and these friendships become long lasting and healthy. The problem is that it’s easy to cross the line on social media, until what you thought was an honest attempt to get to know someone results in stalking and harassment charges.

Online social media is a massive problem. This occurs when you start to become too invested in another person’s life and start forcing yourself into their DMs, become aggressive with the comments you leave on the other person’s posts can make them uncomfortable to the point that they will file charges.

Posting About Illegal Activity

A surprising number of people inadvertently attract police attention by posting about crimes they’ve been involved in. Some simply mention that they were at the scene of a crime. Some people will post images of stolen products. There have even been cases where people were charged and convicted of crimes because they posted detailed information about the crime and their involvement on their social media case.

If you have been involved with a crime or even in activity that seems suspicious, it’s in your best interest to keep the information off of your social media platforms. You don’t want to make it easy for the police to secure an arrest warrant.

The best way to stay out of legal trouble when you’re updating your social media accounts is making sure that you take a few minutes and consider each post. Is it something that will attract the attention of the police, could violate a copyright law, or make it appear that you have a questionable personality.

Posting Images That Aren’t Yours Without the Owner’s Permission

This is one that isn’t discussed as much as it should be. While you may not seem the harm in posting a picture you either found while surfing the ‘net or a sample from a photoshoot you recently had with a photographer, doing so is actually copyright infringement. If the photo’s actual owner is upset enough, they could file charges. This has happened a few times to large companies who posted photos they didn’t actually own. In most cases, the photo’s owner approached the company and asked for compensation

Can You Obtain Information About Your Tennessee Arrest

Posted on March 2, 2023 by crystal

Knowing you should have both your criminal and arrest records is one thing. Knowing how to acquire these reports is a whole different matter.

Since Tennessee’s arrest records are a matter of public record, you’re legally allowed access to the information, but to obtain it, you need to know where to go and who to talk to.

Many people assume that an arrest record isn’t the same as a conviction, they don’t need to worry about obtaining that particular record. However, you will be surprised by how much information that simple document contains.

When you read through your arrest record you’ll learn:

The suspect’s name
Date of birth
A physical description
The crimes the suspect has been charged with
Booking information

It’s not unusual for an arrest record to also include some information that provides insight into the investigation, why the police suspected the individual, and the person’s past behavior/arrests.

While you are entitled to your arrest record, it’s not always easy to get this report. The simplest way to do this is by going directly to the police station where you were arrested and asking for a copy. You will have to be prepared to show some proof of identity.

The second place you can contact for a copy of your arrest record is the county courthouse. It’s important to understand that you can’t go to any county courthouse, you must contact the one in the county where you were arrested.

The best time to obtain a copy of your arrest records is shortly after you’ve been arrested. Not only are recent records easier to obtain, having a copy of the record immediately following your arrest makes it possible for you to confirm that all the information included on the arrest record is accurate. If there is inaccurate in the arrest record, it is far easier to get it corrected in the days following your arrest than if you wait a month or longer.

Dealing with Payment Plans Is Easy with Memphis Bail Bonds

Posted on December 20, 2022 by crystal

Payment plans are pretty great. They break up the large cost of something and spread it out over a set amount of time. This makes it easier for a person to afford whatever the item is. However, they can add a bit of worry for some people. People may worry about missing a payment, and wonder what will happen then.

This is especially true when it comes to bail bonds. Many people are terrified of missing a payment, because it can mean more than just losing the money for the bond. Missed payments are a common concern for our clients here at Memphis Bail Bonds. Luckily, they don’t have to be a big, world ending deal.

If a client suspects that they might be late on a payment, they should let their bail agent know right away. Here at Memphis Bail Bonds, we are more than capable of working with our clients on their payments. We know that surprises happen, and you may not have the money for a payment one month. We also know that things changes, and what might have been affordable a few months ago, might be too much now. We can rework the payment plan to better fit your needs. This only works though if you talk with your bail agent.

Memphis Bail Bonds Works With Your Budget

If a person doesn’t talk with their bail agent about missing a payment, when the payment is missed, their agent will try to contact them right away. If the agent can get in touch with their client, they can figure out how to proceed together. If no contact can be made, then that is typically when a bounty hunter gets involved to bring the person back into police custody.

Making payments might be difficult with other bail bond companies, but not with Memphis Bail Bonds. All of our payment plans are designed with our clients and their unique budgets in mind. If a client runs into a bit of trouble with their payments, they can talk to an agent ahead of missing a payment to prevent anything bad from happening.

Do you need bail? Contact Memphis Bail Bonds. We’re a family-owned bail bonds business that has been serving the area for several decades. Our top-rated services include:

24/7 Bail bond service
Online payments
0% Interest payment plans
Phone approvals
No hidden fees
No collateral for working signers
Free consultations with a bail bonds expert

At Memphis Bail Bonds, our bail agents are available 24/7 when you call (615) 544 0000 or click Chat With Us now.

What Is the Booking Process Like?

Posted on December 20, 2022 by crystal

When it comes to arrests and bail, most people have a lot questions. For instance, many people wonder what happens when a person is arrested. They often expect the arrest to happen quickly, however that is rarely the case. There is a whole process to booking someone into jail and it usually takes some time to complete.

The booking process proceeds as follows:

1. Information is recorded. When a person is brought into a police station, their information is recorded. This includes things such as why the person was arrested, as well as their name, birthday, and home address.

2. Picture time. Next the person’s mug shot is taken. The picture is important for identifying two different people who may share the same name. The mugshot also establishes the person’s physical condition at the time of arrest

3. Fingers get dirty. After that, fingerprints are taken. These are typically entered into the national database maintained by the FBI.

4. Belongings are confiscated. After the mugshot, officers will confiscate anything that is on the person, which can include clothes, which will be replaced with an orange jumpsuit. This also includes a full-body search to ensure that no contraband enters the jail. Any belongings taken from the arrested individual will be returned when the person is released, provided the item wasn’t contraband.

5. In for anything else? As the all the other stuff is going on, someone else will use the given information to check for any warrants out for the person’s arrest. If a person does have other warrants out for their arrest, they likely won’t be given bail.

6. Time for a checkup. Next comes a health checkup to make sure the person is healthy and not bringing any diseases into the jail. A DNA sample may be taken and added to the national database.

7. Play well with others? Lastly, officers will make sure that the arrested person won’t cause trouble in the jail. This is done by asking if the person has ever had any gang affiliations, or other outside relationships, that might pose a problem with other inmates.

Memphis Bail Bonds Can Help You With Bail

There are a lot of steps to booking someone into jail, and not every station does them in the same exact order. On top of that, different stations are dealing with more arrests than others. This means that the booking process can be done in under an hour at some stations, but take several at others. It all depends on when and where the person was arrested.

Once a person has been booked in, they may be given a bail amount. Once that happens, Memphis Bail Bonds can help you bail that person out of jail. All you have to do to get started is talk to one of our bail agents. They will help you with the bail and answer all of your questions about the bail process.