White collar crime is a crime committed by an individual with a high social and reputable status
with a high amount of respectability, who often work in commercial employment. White collar
crimes are generally non-violent crimes usually committed in commercial situations for financial
gain. Some of the offences include computer and internet fraud, credit card fraud and tax
evasion. There are three types of white collar crimes: corporate, organised and professional.
Corporate crime refers to criminal offenses that are committed by persons during the course of
legitimate business activities. Corporate crimes are often non-violent. Some examples of
corporate crimes are fraud, insider trading and money laundering. Moreover, there is also
another type of offense called state-corporate crime. This offence consists of corporations who
rely on states for financial support to commit crimes to gain profits illegally. Organised white
collar crime seeks profits through illegal businesses and frequently employs physical
intimidation and violence. For example, the triads and the mafia. The last type of white collar
crime is professional crime. Professional white collar crime is when someone uses special skills,
experiences, methods or instruments to commit crime whilst considering the activity to be their
basic occupation or another way to expand their income. An example is fraud. Offenders who
usually commit professional crime will just be doing it for personal gain. Due to the fact, people
who commit white collar crime have a high social status and are well known, victims who have a
large amount of money would consider investing with them as they are so respected. This
means that a lot of ponzi schemes happen due to this. Moreover, victims of white collar crime
can also be recently retired workers who are taken advantage of. Even though this is a serious
crime, the level of public awareness is low due to the fact that it’s very difficult to prosecute
because the offenders use sophisticated means to conceal their activities through a series of
complex transactions and people are not aware a crime is happening. White collar crime is both
deviant and criminal as stealing money is morally wrong and lawbreaking in the eyes of the law.
A case of someone who committed white collar crime was Bernie Madoff, a financier who
executed the largest ponzi scheme in history by stealing investors money for his own and falsely
promising consistent profits in return. Bernie Madoff stole about 65 billion dollars.
State crimes are criminal activities perpetrated by state agencies, like the government, to further
their policies. Examples of state crimes are genocide, war crimes, torture and imprisonment
without trial. State crimes often occur when the behaviour of the state is seen as acceptable or
demanded. Kelman and Hamilton both argued that state crimes are all part of a role that people
are socialised into. They argued that three things need to happen to produce crimes of
obedience; authorisation, routinisation and dehumanisation. Authorisation means when acts are
ordered or approved by people in charge and must be obeyed. Additionally, routinisation means
when an act is already committed and there is pressure to make it seem routine and detached
from the perpetrator. Lastly, dehumanisation means making someone or a group feel or appear
somehow less than human as if the enemy are “subhuman” compared to the rest of the world
and the principles of morality do not apply. British sociologist argued that the nazis dehumanised
the jews and turned mass murder into a routine administrarive task. The offenders of state crime
are normally someone who is a high ranking government official.the victims of state crime are
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Mecara134. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £5.59. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.