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WJEC Criminology Unit 1 AC1.1
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Unit 1: AC1.1: Types of CrimesWhite Collar Crime
A white-collar crime is committed by people in commercial situations who are in a position of
power or authority to financially receive a gain, such as: computer and internet fraud, credit
card fraud or tax evasion. Writer Simon Morden commented on the economic system which
allows that to happen, he claimed that “Capitalism is a social system owned by the
capitalistic class, a small network of very wealthy and powerful businessmen, who
compromise the health and security of the general population for corporate gain.” The
victims of white-collar crime are usually consumers, taxpayers, government, employees or
just the public in general. The offenders are typically people in high positions of power or
people who hold significant jobs within society, including company directors, managers,
lawyers, doctors and even dentists.
There have previously been millions of infamous examples of white-collar crime cases, loads
of which are still relevant today. One example includes American financier Bernie Madoff,
also known as the ‘financial serial killer.’ Madoff was known for operating history’s largest
Ponzi scheme, a financial swindle in which early investors are repaid with money acquired
from later investors rather than actual investment. After confessing in 2008 Bernie forfeited
his share of $170 million of real estate, investments, and other assets. He later received 150
years in prison and died in 2021, 13 years after his sentencing.
Another example of white-collar crime, at the other end of the spectrum, is ‘The Triads.’ The
Triads trace their beginnings to secret societies founded in China 2,000 years ago to oppose
warlords, they indulge in things such as drug trade and prostitution.
Public Awareness about white collar crime is usually exceptionally low, due to the level of
sophistication and organisation within their schemes. White-collar crime offenders are also
generally highly respectable people and are therefore subjected to less suspicion from other
people. Furthermore, victims of white-collar crime are usually misled about what is a crime or
not and typically won't report it, others are sometimes embarrassed that they fell for such a
crime and would therefore not report it, or rarely people have not even realise they have
been a victim in the first place.
White collar crimes are seen as criminal and deviant as it involves breaking the law, despite
them sometimes being labelled as ‘breaches of regulations’; however, they are seen as
deviant as they can cause great harm, undermine society’s unwritten norms, and betray
people’s trust in professionals and institutions.
Moral Crime
Moral crimes are crimes that many people disagree with or even acknowledge are crimes,
some argue that they are just deviant behaviours that should not end up in prosecution.
Moral crimes can be criminal offences as they include things such as prostitution, underage
drinking, assisted suicide, illegal gambling, illegal drug use, and even vagrancy which
became illegal in 1824, following the Vagrancy Act, where people were punished for their
idleness.
Victims of moral crime can also end up being offenders as they often fall victim to their crime.
For example, individuals could have previously had problems in their life which could have
caused them to end up using illegal drugs or someone committing vagrancy could be left
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