September 9, 2014
You do not have to be a large corporation to be charged with a white collar crime. Anyone who commits a financially motivated, nonviolent crime, through the course of a person’s business could face white collar charges.
Such crimes end up costing the U.S. government and taxpayers more than $300 billion each year.
White Collar Crime On the Smaller Scale
The media often portrays white collar crimes as an action committed by those in large companies, such as a Fortune 500 company. However, this is not always the case. Those guilty of white collar crimes are usually medical or business professionals. Doctors, lawyers, office workers and business managers are typically accused.
Many would say that these crimes are victimless, but that is far from the case. These crimes include:
- Embezzlement
- Credit Card Fraud
- Blackmail
- Computer and internet fraud
- Insurance fraud
- Insider trading
- Bribery
- Money Laundering
- Cyber Crime
These crimes can also be further broken down into several sub-categories:
- Healthcare Fraud: This could include billing patients for services never performed, filing duplicate claims, using unlicensed staff, prescribing treatment or unnecessary medication in order to increase payment and changing the dates or services provided to patients.
- Insurance Fraud: In order to collect compensation for damages, people who commit insurance fraud may exaggerate their claim or plan an intentional loss.
- Computer Fraud: Computer fraud is especially difficult to monitor and may include acts such as identity theft, hacking, illegally intercepting electronic transmissions and altering computer input in an unauthorized or illegal way.
In conclusion, white collar crime is known for its complexity and it is often difficult to keep up with the vast array of financial terms and accusations associated with this type of crime. As an unfortunate result, unaware perpetrators sometimes commit these crimes because they fail to comprehend the legal terms of various contracts or the ethical consequences of their actions.
There are multiple categories of white collar crime and it’s important to know your rights if you or someone you know has been accused. Our team of St Petersburg criminal defense attorneys at the Khonsari Law Group will provide you with an initial, free consultation to discuss these rights and give you the peace of mind you deserve.