If you’re like most people, you’ve heard the term white-collar crime – but what is it, and what types of crime does it cover?

White-Collar Crime: What You Need to Know

White-collar crime isn’t an actual criminal charge. It’s a term that describes a wide range of crimes that people commit for financial gain, typically in a business or professional setting.

Some of the most common white-collar crimes are credit card fraud, forgery and theft.

Anyone can commit a white-collar crime, which is characterized by concealment, deceit or a violation of trust. The main motivation for these types of crime is financial gain (or to avoid losing money).

Corporate Fraud

Some white-collar crime involves corporate fraud, which can include:

  • Falsely accounting for money
  • Falsification of net asset values
  • Fraudulent trading
  • Illicit transactions performed to avoid regulations
  • Insider trading
  • Misrepresenting a company’s financial condition
  • Misuse of corporate property for personal gain
  • Some market timing schemes
  • Tax violations

There are other types of white-collar crimes, too, including:

  • Financial institution fraud
  • Mortgage fraud
  • Healthcare fraud
  • Intellectual property theft or piracy
  • Money laundering

What if You’re Charged With a White-Collar Crime?

Your best bet when you’re charged with any crime is to start talking to an attorney immediately. The sooner you call a lawyer, the sooner he can begin preparing a defense that gets you the best possible outcome. Your lawyer will ask you questions about what happened and what kind of evidence the prosecution believes it has against you, and he’ll use that information to build your defense.

It’s important that you give your attorney as much time to prepare as possible, so if you’ve been accused of or charged with a white-collar crime, call us immediately at 847-920-4540 for a free case review. We’ll answer your questions and help you start moving in a positive direction.

CategoryWhite Collar
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