White collar crime is generally defined as illegal activities that do not involve the use of violence or any type of physical threat or force. These crimes are typically committed by business professionals, and they involve attempts to cheat individuals, corporations and organizations out of large sums of money. Some of the methods that are used involve insider trading, market manipulation and embezzlement. Some other common types of white collar crime include:

Fight against white collar crime

The FBI investigates these crimes and pursues the scammers who commit them. They have divided these fraudulent activities into four separate categories.

The first is known as economic crimes. These frauds include bankruptcy schemes, insurance scams and any other activity that is designed to steal from either corporations or individuals.

Next is financial institution fraud. This category includes embezzlement, check fraud and schemes that are intended to steal money from a financial institution.

The third division is government fraud. Included in this category are charges of health care fraud, environmental crimes and any plot that is used to illegally obtain money from government agencies.

Public corruption is the final category included in the FBI's investigations. This section is related to government officials who accept bribes or participate in any other illegal activities for personal gain.

Court cases

White collar crimes are usually committed by members of society who would already be thought of as financially stable. Their level of wealth and status allows them to hire expensive lawyers who can provide the best legal assistance available. These white collar crime cases tend to go on for long periods of time due to the complicated nature of the crimes that have been committed, but are generally regarded as less serious than most other types of crime.

Punishment

Because a white collar crime does not involve any form of violence or result in physical harm towards another, the punishment that is sentenced to these criminals is usually much less severe than to blue collar criminals.

Scammers who are convicted of white collar crimes will commonly be eligible to endure their sentence in a minimum security prison, which offers a much safer and more casual environment for the prisoners. Those who are not dealt jail time may end up paying fines, working as part of a community service program and being ordered to pay back any money that they have stolen. A good lawyer can usually work out a reduced penalty for their clients who are convicted of these crimes.

Although white collar crimes are non-violent, they can still have a lasting negative effect on the victims. Depending on the severity of the crime, it can affect the financial status of individuals, corporations, government agencies and, in extreme cases, even the national economy. The FBI will continue to pursue and investigate all of these crimes.