White Collar Crime

Running Head: White Collar Crime

White Collar Crime

Kaplan University

Ariana J Den Hartog

Abstract

White-collar crime is most characteristically defined in relations of insolences toward those who commit it. These crimes are punishable by law; however it is generally regarded by the courts and by sections of the general public as much less disgraceful as crimes usually punished by the courts. The other types of crime are blue-collar offenses, which are predominately crimes of the under-privileged (Ettore 1994). White-collar crimes are punished far less harshly than blue-collar crimes, which show societies attitudes towards the two sections of society. White-collar crime is attractive to criminals because it brings material rewards with little or no loss of status (Ettore 1994).

Introduction

Welcome to the age of white collar crime, a time when the words thieves and entrepreneurs go hand in hand. White collar criminals don't get their hands filthy in their work. They use their heads to get what they want instead of using a little muscle. These criminals are just as dangerous as the rapists and murderers. In these times, even the most seemingly respectable people are suspected of white collar crimes (Casper 1995). President Clinton and the first lady Hillary Clinton have been tangled up in the Whitewater and Travel gate business ventures. Although the two have not been formally charged with any wrongdoing, there is a committee currently investigating their dealings and charges are not out of the question for either of them (Johnston 2002).

White Collar Crimes

White collar crime refers to that category of crime that tends to be committed by professionals (Bucklin 1997). Securities Fraud, Insider Trading, Bank Fraud, Tax Fraud, and Money Laundering are all examples of white-collar crime. White-collar crime includes, by way of example, such acts as promulgating false or misleading advertising, illegal exploitation of employees, mislabeling of goods, and violation of weights and measures statutes, conspiring to fix prices, evading corporate taxes, computer crimes (Casper 1995).

Fraud

Bogus ads, job scams, and telephone scams are all examples of fraud. Basically these scams ask you to send money for something that is non-existent. An example of a telephone scam would be if someone called to ask for donations for a phony organization or charity (Bucklin 1997). If you donated the money, it would either not get to the organization or charity you wanted, or the charity simply did not exist in the first place (Casper 1995). The most obvious way these crimes differ from other crimes is that they don't require any "dirty work." When people think of crimes, they think of getaway cars and bank heists, but many criminals never even touch a gun (Ettore 1994). Their weapon of choice is a computer or a telephone. They are just as deadly with these as the man with the gun in the bank. White collar crimes are committed out of greed. The people who usually commit these crimes are financially secure. A lot of crimes are committed out of greed, but virtually all white collar crimes are committed out of greed (Casper 1995).

What Is Meant By The Term 'White Collar Crime'?

White

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