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White collar crime refers to a group of crimes committed by an individual or group for the purpose of financial gain. White collar crimes are also defined by the fact that they do not involve violence or threat of bodily harm.
Types of white collar crime include, but are not limited to, bribery, forgery, counterfeiting, money laundering, embezzlement and fraud (i.e. tax, telemarketing, health care, securities and commodities). The majority of white-collar crime cases involve some type of fraud.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been able to identify the groups most likely to be victims of white collar crime. Through National Incident-Based Reporting System statistics, the method by which the FBI assesses crime rates, the U.S. Department of Justice has determined that business or non-person victims of white-collar crime are as common as, if not more common than, individual victims.
Other "non-person" victims of white collar crime include businesses, financial institutions, government agencies, religious organizations and society organizations.
Businesses are the most likely non-person victims of white collar crimes like fraud, counterfeiting and embezzlement, followed by financial institutions and government agencies. The only area of white collar crime in which the number of individual victims exceeds commercial victims is bribery.
Statistics from the National White Collar Crime Center estimate that one in three households is the victim of a white collar crime, yet of these, only 41 percent report the incident. Of those who do report it, only 21 percent of the cases are handled by law enforcement or consumer credit agencies.
FBI officials believe that many victims do not report their incidents of white collar crime because they are unaware that they have been victimized. Additionally, many corporations tend not to report white collar crime perpetrated against them for fear of garnering a negative reputation for the company.
With cases of white collar crime continually on the rise, a consequent rise in the number of victims of white collar crime is inevitable. If you believe that you or your corporation has been a victim of white collar crime, it is imperative that you contact law enforcement and seek legal counsel. Victims of white collar crime are frequently awarded restitution.
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