...Types of White Collar Crime Angela L. Langley LEG 200 – White Collar Crime in Government, Business, and Labor Professor Thomas Demko Strayer University May 28, 2012 Assignment 1: Types of White Collar Crime A white collar crime is illegal and unethical, which violates the public trust. It deals with lying, cheating, and stealing by high profile individuals. A single con can destroy a business, hurt families by cleaning out their life savings, or cost investors billions of dollars. “Devastating losses in relation to homes, businesses, jobs, retirement funds, and college savings were widespread. “It was clear that fraudulent misrepresentations on many levels were at the center of this crisis” (Friedrichs, 2010, p. 1). We will compare and contrast the nature of white collar crime with other types of illegal acts, compare and contrast the typical participants of white collar crime against the participants of other types of illegal acts, discuss the role of technology in white collar crime and how its role may create differences from other forms of crime, and analyze the role of opportunity and how it contributes to white collar crime. Compare and contrast the nature of white collar crime with other types of illegal acts. The key elements of white collar crimes are trust and its violation. “White collar crimes take on the form of misrepresentation, stealing, misappropriation, self-dealing, corruption, and role conflict” (Friedrichs, 2010, p. 10). White-collar...
Words: 1251 - Pages: 6
...that the most serious and frequent offenders are young working class males. However, there may be a bias in the statistics that results in the idea that ‘white collar crime’ is underestimated... * WHITE COLLAR CRIME - middle class members of the business world - invisible and complex. * BLUE COLLAR CRIME - working class members in society - often visible and more likely to be punished. Sutherland (1949) first used the term ‘white collar crime’. He challenged the assumption that crime is mostly a working class phenomenon. However, his own definition is not helpful. The problem with it is that he does not distinguish crimes committed for an organisation. Writers have therefore distinguished between crimes: * CORPORATE CRIME - carried out on behalf of the organisation (e.g. tax evasion). * OCCUPATIONAL CRIME - benefits the individual at the expense of the organisation (e.g. embezzling money). White collar crimes are more technical, complex and discrete and often receive more lenient punishments than blue collar crimes. For white collar crimes, there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what is not. It is often about what is morally wrong rather than legally wrong. Occupational/Corporate crime: The study of these crimes developed from the work of Sutherland in the 1940s. He used the term white collar crime to refer to crime committed by people who worked in offices. His work overlaps with the interests of Marxists who were interested in the crimes of the...
Words: 2339 - Pages: 10
...White Collar Crime: Embezzlement and Price Fixing Dr. Stokes White Collar Crime Fall 2012 November 19th 2012 This paper will discuss White Collar crime and the crime of price fixing, antitrust, and embezzlement. There are many different types of white collar crime. White Collar crime is a crime that is not too often viewed as harmful. A White Collar crime is an illegal act committed for monetary gain. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opted to approach white-collar crime in terms of the offense. The Bureau has defined white-collar crime as “. . . those illegal acts which are characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust and which are not dependent upon the application or threat of physical force or violence. Individuals and organizations commit these acts to obtain money, property, or services; to avoid the payment or loss of money or services; or to secure personal or business advantage.” (USDOJ, 1989, p. 3.) According to the F.B.I. White Collar crime is not a victimless crime. A single scam can destroy a company, devastate families by wiping out their life savings, or cost investors billions of dollars (or even all three, as in the Enron case). Today’s fraud schemes are more sophisticated than ever. Edwin Sutherland coined the term White Collar crime. In 1939 Sutherland coined White Collar as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation". People that commit White Collar crime are ordinary...
Words: 1618 - Pages: 7
...Huyen Tran Prof. Boyd English 100 4/21/2014 Inequality in America Time has brought about many changes in America since the 1960’s to the present. Many of them have been positive, like advances in technology in regards to the health care system, but some have created a growing concern in the eyes of many citizens. People like Robert Reich have noticed a growing sense of inequality in America and are worried it will only increase over time. Reich in his essay Why the Rich are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer he talks about the problems we are facing in the 21st century and what must be done to prevent them from spiraling out of control. The economy pre-1960 in America use to be a solid unit, what happened to one happened to all but this is simply not true anymore. “We are now in different boats, one sinking rapidly, one sinking more slowly, and the third steadily rising” (Jacobus 516). The worst hit has befallen the routine producers who now have to compete in a world economy where massive amount of people are competing for cheap labor. Reich claims the increase in outsourcing being done by American companies since the late 1970’s is a major factor. A company that shows this exact change in the seventies in AT&T, which prior to 1970’s relied on “routine producers in Shreveport, Louisiana, to assemble standard telephones. It then discovered that routine producers in Singapore would perform the same tasks at a far lower cost” (Jacobus 517). Then in 1989, AT&T...
Words: 1045 - Pages: 5
...Cheating, Stealing: White-Collar Crime “Lying, Cheating, Stealing. That’s white-collar crime in a nutshell.” That is how the Federal Bureau of Investigation describes crime committed by corporations (FBI—White-Collar Crime). These crimes include fraud, identity theft, internet swindles, money laundering, price-fixing, embezzlement, political corruption, police brutality, and much more. Conklin (2010) defines white-collar crime as “any illegal act, punishable by a criminal sanction, that is committed in the course of a legitimate occupation or pursuit by a corporation or by an otherwise respectable individual of high social standing.” Who are white-collar criminals? Who are blue-collar criminals? What are the differences between white-collar crime and blue-collar crime? Is there disparate treatment in sentencing between white-collar and blue-collar criminals? If yes, should there be? For example, if someone breaks into my home, it is a blue-collar crime and I lose some property. If a banking or real estate corporation defrauds me, it is a white-collar crime, and I lose my home, savings, and/or pension. Who is the worse criminal, and what are we doing about it? I will research these questions and examine how these two types of criminals are treated within our society. In 1939, Edwin Sutherland coined the term white-collar crime in his presidential address to the American Sociological Society. In 1949, he authored a book, White- Collar Crime, that revealed...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...White Collar crime VS. Blue collar crime A big problem in today society is white collar crime and blue collar crime. The big question we ask in society is which one is a bigger problem. In my paper I will go into detail with each one and distinguish them between Micro sociology and Macro sociology. The big question being asked is what is white collar crime identified as and blue collar crime? White collar crime is defined as “illegal or unethical acts that violate fiduciary responsibility of public trust committed by an individual or organization, usually during the course of legitimate occupational activity, by persons of high or respectable social status for personal or organizational gain” (Helmkamp, Ball, & Townsend,1996, p. 351). (Cullen, Clark, Mather’s, & Cullen, 1983; Grabosky et al., 1987; Hauber, Toonvliet, & Willemse, 1988; Holland, 1995) felt back then that white collar crimes get neglected. There are only 24 out of 140 crimes that are categorized to be white collar crimes. Some examples that are white collar crimes are (i.e., price fixing, defrauding customers, and income tax fraud). Benson and Cullen (1998) examined the perceptions of white-collar crime seriousness from local prosecutors. The prosecutors did not typically perceive such crimes as serious; it was stated that, less than 4% of urban prosecutors considered corporate crime a “very serious” problem and about 50% did not regard it as serious at all. When crimes like this are committed I feel that the...
Words: 342 - Pages: 2
...an inquiry to a very particular subset of activities, victims and practices. A database search on more information of topologies within this subset of White Collar Crime yielded very few results. The author examines this from two broad categories. accounting for several factors within criminology or social science to allow a better study of the topic, in a more narrow scope. From these typologies, we can also draw numerous scientific values. The author uses the type of activity to study an area. The other typologies include, victims, such as the general public, consumers and employees. Another typology is the size of entity, such as the crime of a major domestic corporation. Thirdly, the product or service involved is another topology. Finally, the nature of the harmful activity. I believe the victim and type of activity are the most significant, because you will most likely have the most data to draw from. Victims will almost definitely report their loss if they suspect foul play; all the while the type of activity will be reported or derived from the victims report. These areas, in my mind, hold for quantitative data. 2. Identify and discuss how the corporate abuse of power, corporate fraud, and corporate economic exploitation are interrelated, and which segments of society suffer from these forms of White Collar Crime. The corporate abuse of power, corporate fraud and corporate economic exploitation are interrelated by very undefined line. Based on my reading...
Words: 836 - Pages: 4
...Man Vs Robots Table of Contents Are you #teamrobot?3 Advancements in technology are doing more harm than good3 Family structures will collapse4 Social effects of the automaton takeover5 Positive outcome6 Mental effects of the automaton takeover6 Who will win the battle? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………7 Man vs Robots Are you #teamrobot? Computers run the world! Wouldn’t you agree? Think about it, imagine going an entire twenty four hours without turning to your electronics for help, you can’t. Our generation has been spoiled with using the “easy, fast way out”. Remember that time the cashier was moving too slow when you were in a hurry, thank goodness for that self-checkout. How many times do you go to the supermarket and prefer to deal with the machine versus the nice cashier lady who greets you with a smile and small conversation? Most people in this generation prefer to deal with machines and not people and it is becoming a problem in society. Advancements in technology are doing more harm than good The problem is the advancement in technology is destroying and eliminating job opportunities for mankind. When people visit their local grocery store you can see that machines have replaced cashiers and even outperforming mankind. The rich are becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer. Robots are cheaper and they execute factory jobs better than humans. In an article from The Desert Sun, The Boston...
Words: 1681 - Pages: 7
...White collar crime The phrase white collar crime was first used by Edwin Sutherland in 1939 during a speech to the American Sociological Society. He defined white collar crime as a "crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation."(Sutherland, “White-Collar Criminality."). Today, white collar crime refers to illegal offenses that are generally committed in the business or professional setting (white collar versus blue collar jobs) to achieve financial gain. Crimes that do not involve physical violence, and that relate largely to financial matters, are often called white collar crimes. Corporate corruption is out of control for two main reasons. First, big companies are now multinational, while governments remain national. Big companies are so financially powerful that governments are afraid to take them on. It is very important to study the cause and the possible solution for the increase in numbers of white collar crime; our focus needs to shift from Blue Collar Crimes to White Collar Crimes. U.S.A spends nearly $50 billion on fighting Blue Collar Crimes, not even quarter of that amount is spent on fighting White Collar Crimes. Hardly a day passes without a new story of malfeasance. Every Wall Street firm has paid significant fines during the past decade for phony accounting, insider trading, securities fraud, Ponzi schemes, or outright embezzlement by CEOs. A massive insider-trading ring is currently on trial in New York...
Words: 2916 - Pages: 12
...forensic accounting scrutinizes the financial documents that are internal which aren’t readily available to the public; these documents are usually considered in litigation affairs. Generally, the field of accounting was undergoing a major overhaul; before the recent economic crisis that has devastated some parts of the western world, the accounting scandals regarding WorldCom and Enron pushed the field towards change. Accounting in general was put under scrutiny as a result of increasing white collar crime and the economic crisis pushed that process even faster and further. Ergo, there was an increasing need to have forensic accountants and the field in general needs proper development in its education system and practice for it to be effective. Overall, the laws of the developed world favor the ones who commit white collar crimes rather than a person robbing a convenience store with a gun. The problem with policymaking in the current democratic regimes is that it’s a paradox that allows white collar crimes like WorldCom and Enron to get away or only end up with a milder outcome than the robbers who may physically go out and do it with a gun. Of course, debating the overall of the current democratic systems is beyond the scope of this paper, but the evolution of democracy has led to this paradox in policymaking. The paradox is that there are two different ideologies that are responsible for creating policies; on one side there is the ideology to form policies based on the interests...
Words: 1055 - Pages: 5
...many prisoners are reasonably well-educated. More than six out of 10 prisoners are high school graduates, and many attended college. A majority of federal prison inmates and nearly half of all state prisoners are white or white Hispanic, not African American. More than four out of 10 prisoners were raised in two-parent families, and more than half had fulltime jobs before their arrest” (Society, 2013). Most people lose focus of the different kinds of criminals including white collar crime. “It’s important to understand that as white collar crimes evolved over the years, so too has the white collar criminal. It is this phenomenon that criminologists, sociologists, law enforcement, fraud examiners, and forensic accountants must take into consideration as they investigate white collar crimes. Credit card fraud, forgery, identity theft, internet schemes, larceny, mail fraud, and telemarketing fraud, do not require the perpetrator to be an executive within an organization. In fact, those who would be considered by most as common street criminals are committing many of these types of crimes. Another issue to consider is than white collar criminals are becoming more transparent and harder to trace with the rise of the internet. One major misconception of white collar crime, is the notion that these crimes are non-violent and are committed by those who are non-violent in nature. This is...
Words: 954 - Pages: 4
...Changing work patterns Introduction Australian work communities are experiencing change. The labour force and industrial relations system is changing. The nature of work and the patterns of Australians' working lives are changing. Many say globalisation is the reason. Some say it is to boost productivity and provide flexibility for workers, employers, and businesses that make up our new economy. These issues are clearly seen when we look at our changing work patterns. See image 1 Structural changes to our work 'Structural change' is an economic explanation for our changing work patterns. It refers to key work and labour force changes in Australia, such as the reduction in full-time work and the increasing economic hardship of lower income workers compared to the increased affluence of higher socioeconomic groups. There has been a decline in full time work from 89 per cent to 69 per cent and rapid growth in services to over 80 per cent. There has been an increase in part-time and casual work; around one in four workers are part-time (due to more flexible workplaces, increased subcontractors, extended trading hours, work and family considerations). The workforce participation of women has increased from 37 to 55 per cent and the number of employed people with a bachelor's degree or higher has increased from 3 to 19 per cent. The proportion of 15 to 24 year olds remaining in our education system has increased from 35 to 54 per cent, partly due to the changing needs of our workplaces...
Words: 813 - Pages: 4
...laughs and jokes. He is emphatic in his endeavors to prove his capability in running our country. I find him to be a very refreshing presence in a very troubled economy.\ The changes in the individuality of white collar employees' working conditions have changed largely due to the increase in the use of technology. The change from basic word processing programs to that of intricately designed computer systems are a large factor in this development. Where white collar once looked down on the seemingly simplistic occupations of blue collar workers, that simplicity is now a little envied by those white collar workers whose jobs have become a slightly more difficult ironically by technology that was created to make their jobs easier. White-collar workers are less likely to join a union because: 1. Perception of manual workers- white-collar workers feels the work performed by blue-collar workers are looked down upon and not seen as prestigious or important. 2. The sense of superiority felt by white collar workers over their blue collar counter parts- they feel that the functions and products of their occupations are more important than those of blue collar workers. 3.Opportunity for advancement- possibilities of advancing into management positions is more likely in white-collar occupations. Also, the more appealing idea of having a salary instead of earning wages takes away from the...
Words: 806 - Pages: 4
...a little boy my friends would bring me their broken toys for me to fix for them. Naturally as an adult, I fell into a trade that requires me to use my hands. As the years have gone by I enjoy my job less and less, which has led me to believe that the time has come for me to move on to the next phase of my career. I knew I would have to begin going to school again in order to secure the job I desired. There are several reasons why a person may consider furthering their education. Going back to school was an easy decision for me. I am a cable contractor, however I have always been interested in studying the field of IT. Stability is something that most adults strive for. Whether your job is in corporate America, or you are one of the blue collar workers, you still want the peace of mind in knowing that your job is stable and secure. Being an independent contractor, for different cable companies is something that I fell into. Although I have made plenty of money over the years, there are no real benefits to being independent. As I have become older, I have realized that, while I make a nice living, there will be no pension waiting for me since I do not work directly for any one company. Another down fall of being independent is, finding a good contract is becoming more and more difficult. It seems to me that every time I do manage to find a contract that is worth taking, it is in another state, which means I have to be away from my family for months at a time. I have also noticed...
Words: 329 - Pages: 2
...ABSTRACT This paper clarifies around three white collar crimes, which had happened and exposed in news recently. These offenders are genuine experts, businessmen, acting like one of the respectable natives in the general public. This clarifies how person commit crime in agreed to profit, regardless of how respectable or rich you are, out of greed they commit crime and in no time gets caught and received what they supposed to receive. These sorts of unlawful acts influence them as well as demonstrate a huge impact on the economy, basic individuals lives may be exasperates, in this way prompting disturbances. Before finishing up, the paper discloses few stages to keep these law violations, or if nothing else not to turn into a casualty to these criminal acts. 1. White Collar Crime Case 1: May 29, 2015. Ex-legislator's Delco job stirs questions Who is involved? Joe Hackett ,who was with the Delaware County District Attorney's Office. How is the matter being addressed? When he unexpectedly surrendered from the state House a month ago, Joe Hackett said he was coming back to a $85,290-a-year work with the Delaware County District Attorney's Office following a five-year time away. In any case, because of an Inquirer ask for, the province's open-record office said Tuesday that it had no record that Hackett connected for an amplified leave past the one allowed for his initial two years in office under the work contract between the Brotherly Request of Police and the district. ...
Words: 1823 - Pages: 8
