White Collar Crime: The Definition Of White Collar Crime

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White collar crime is common due to its easy and non-violent nature. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this term was coined in 1939 and is now synonymous with the full array of frauds committed by business and government professionals. These kinds of crimes are most relatable to the opportunity theory of crime; this theory proposes that offenders make rational decisions and therefore select targets that may offer high reward with low risk and effort. Individuals commit these crimes through illegitimate means in order for the company or enterprise within which they are employed to obtain monetary gains. These crimes greatly revolve around the opportunity theory of crime; it is easily hid from discovery and allows for high reward …show more content…

His main contention being that the very permissive attitudes within society allow for this type of crime to continue to flourish without consequence; but, research has shown that Americans do in fact condemn white collar crime. There has been a lot issues with the true definition of what white collar crime is. The most common white-collar crimes include fraud, bribery, Ponzi schemes, cybercrime, copyright infringement, money laundering, identity theft and forgery insider trading, labor racketeering, embezzlement. Although Sutherland defined it first, the FBI defines it with a more narrow approach: "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" (1989, 3). The crimes committed which fall under the title of white collar crime are entirely dependent upon the identity of the offender; their occupation, their environment, and their opportunities are significant factors in relation to their

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