What Is Considered A White-Collar Crime?

White-collar crimes refer to non-violent criminal activities typically committed by individuals or organizations in professional or business settings. These crimes often involve deceit, theft, or misrepresentation for financial gain and usually occur in environments such as corporations, financial institutions, or government agencies. White-collar criminals are often in positions of trust and authority, which allows them to exploit their access to resources or sensitive information.

What Is Considered a White-Collar Crime?

White-collar crimes can vary greatly in nature, but they are typically financial in nature and carried out for personal or organizational gain. Some key examples include:

Fraud:

Fraud is the deliberate misrepresentation or deception for financial gain. Examples include securities fraud, mortgage fraud, and credit card fraud.

Embezzlement:

This occurs when someone in a position of trust, such as an employee, steals money or property from their employer or another organization. It often involves the unauthorized use of funds or assets that the person was entrusted with managing.

Insider Trading:

Insider trading involves the illegal practice of trading stocks or other securities based on confidential, non-public information. Typically, employees, executives, or others with access to sensitive information take advantage of their knowledge to profit from the market.

Bribery and Corruption:

Bribery occurs when someone offers, gives, or receives something of value to influence the actions or decisions of another person, typically in a position of power. Corporate bribery and public sector corruption are common examples of white-collar crimes.

Money Laundering:

Money laundering refers to the process of concealing the origins of illegally obtained money, typically by means of transfers or transactions that make it appear to be from legitimate sources.

Identity Theft:

This involves stealing personal information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card details, or bank account information, to commit fraud or other illegal acts.

Tax Evasion:

Tax evasion involves deliberately misrepresenting or underreporting income, expenses, or other financial information to reduce tax liabilities.

Forgery:

Forgery involves creating or altering documents, signatures, or other items of value to deceive others for financial gain.

Corporate Crime:

White-collar crimes may also occur within the context of corporate settings, where business leaders or employees engage in unethical or illegal practices such as fraudulent accounting, environmental violations, or illegal marketing practices.

Differences from Other Types of Crime:

Motivation:

White-collar crimes are primarily financially motivated, and the perpetrators typically aim to gain money or power, unlike street crimes or violent crimes, which are often driven by anger, revenge, or personal conflict.

Execution:

White-collar crimes are generally non-violent and involve manipulation of systems, information, or processes, whereas other crimes, like assault or robbery, involve physical harm or force.

Penalties:

Penalties for white-collar crimes may include prison sentences, hefty fines, restitution to victims, or civil penalties. While some white-collar criminals may avoid prison sentences, they often face substantial legal consequences and reputational damage.

Example:

A financial executive at a large corporation manipulates the company's financial records to hide significant losses and falsely report high earnings. The purpose is to inflate the company's stock price, so they can sell their shares for a profit before the fraud is discovered. This action constitutes a form of securities fraud, a common white-collar crime.

In another example, an employee at a bank secretly transfers funds from customers' accounts into their own bank account over a period of years. The employee uses their access to customer data to execute these transactions without authorization, which is classified as embezzlement.