Embezzlement As A Legal Problem And White Collar Crime In USA

Sweta Panda, BBA LLB, SOA National Institute of Law

What Is White Collar Crime

In the 1930s, Edwin Sutherland defined “white-collar crime” as crime “committed by an individual of acceptability and greater social standing in the course of his occupation”1.These crimes differ from standard crimes such as murder, rape, theft, dacoity, trespass, assault, and other similar offenses. The implications of these offenses have an influence on the nation’s economic as well as social structure as an entire. As a result, the legal framework upon which the community and the financial system are built is under direct attack. In the case of white collar crime, the victim is not just a person or a specific group, but the public at large and the state as a whole.

White collar crime is a broad word. It comprises many forms of delinquency and financial misconduct. Sutherland’s research on white collar crime was motivated by his belief that criminology has overemphasized social and economic causes of crime, such as family history and level of wealth. Sutherland believes that people from all socioeconomic status origins commit crime at all levels of civilization. As explained by Sutherland, criminals frequently operate through huge and strong groups. Sutherland found that white collar crime has a significantly underappreciated influence on our society.

A better method to look at white collar crime Is to focus on how operators and courts differentiate white collar crime from ordinary or common criminal activity. A “white collar” prosecutor, for example, would define “white collar crime” as any crime that does not: (a) certainly involve force against a person or property; (b) involve or pertain to the ownership, sale, or conveyance of illicit substances; (c) directly relate to organized crime activities; (d) directly relate to national policyoriented crimes such as emigration and civil rights; or € directly involve “vice crimes” or typical burglary of belongings.