At some point or another, you may have heard the term "white collar crime." While that term does not point to a specific crime, it does encompass several different crimes, typically those that involve individuals using nefarious means for monetary gain.
Because there are many types of white collar crime, you may need to know more about the specifics if you ever find yourself accused of this type of criminal behavior. By understanding what authorities have accused you of, you may have a better chance of creating a meaningful defense against the allegations.
Fraud
Like white collar crime, the term "fraud" can also apply to many different illegal activities. Again, these crimes typically involve using fraudulent or misleading actions in hopes of benefiting financially. Some examples of fraudulent schemes include:
- Securities fraud, or scams involving securities like stocks or other investments
- Mortgage fraud, or purposefully providing misinformation on a mortgage loan application
- Insurance fraud, or making a false claim in hopes of obtaining an insurance payout
- Ponzi schemes, or attempting to falsely obtain money from investors
Any type of these activities could easily result in serious criminal charges being brought against you. However, you may rest easier knowing that if you accidentally provided wrong information once and attempted to correct your mistakes, it is unlikely that you will face criminal charges.
Tax evasion
Another form of white collar crime involves criminal tax evasion. If you attempt to avoid taxes that you owe, you could face this charge. Tax evasion could include submitting false information to the Internal Revenue Service on your tax returns or even moving funds or other property around in hopes of avoiding taxation. In fact, numerous ways exist in which someone could potentially carry out tax evasion.
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is another type of white collar crime that allows an individual to benefit monetarily through unscrupulous means. Typically, embezzlement occurs when a person who owes a service or duty to another person inappropriately takes money from the other person or essentially steals from that person. You may commonly hear of individuals facing accusations of embezzlement after syphoning money from companies for which they work.
Defending against accusations
If you have been accused of any of these white collar crimes, or perhaps a different type, you have the right to defend against the allegations. Once you know more about the charges you face, you may have a better idea of how to move forward with creating your defense presentation. Gaining other relevant and reliable legal information from local resources could also prove helpful to your case.